Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Young People’s Volunteeringand Skills Development
The National Youth Agency
Research Report RW103
RESEARCH
Young People’s Volunteering and Skills Development
The National Youth Agency
Research ReportNo RW103
2
Contents Page
i. Preface 3
1. Executive summary 4
2. Background 9
3. Methodology 9
4. Literature Review 13
5. Broad issues emerging from the fieldwork 16The research processMotivations for volunteeringThe importance of skilled supportComparisons between learning from volunteering and other settingsImpact on other areas of life
6. Fieldwork findings 21
6.1 Skills development: an overview 21
6.2 Personal skills 26 Self-confidence Communication skills Self-awareness Self-management Planning Taking responsibility Improving own learning Problem solving and decision-making
6.3 Interpersonal skills 32 Teamwork Managing relationships Active listening skills Leadership Negotiation
6.4 Understanding contemporary issues 37 Understanding society Understanding diversity Rights and responsibilities Preparation for work
Financial understanding
6.5 Recognition and accreditation 42
7. Conclusions and recommendations 44
8. Appendices 48Definitions of volunteering; projects visited; steering group membership; personal andsocial development skills framework; recording forms and questionnaires; toolkit ofresearch methods; and publications consulted for the literature review.
3
Preface
The research team would like to thank all the young people and workers (paid and unpaid)who took part in this project. Time and time again, the researchers returned home, oftenlate at night, exhausted but reinvigorated by their visits to projects. They were enthusedand inspired by young people’s own accounts of their volunteering experiences, theirsensitivity to each others’ needs, their commitment to what they were doing, and theirunderstanding of how they had changed as a result. They were equally impressed by theworkers who encouraged, supported and challenged young people, many with difficultpersonal circumstances, to grow and develop through volunteering.
The project has provided evidence, in young people’s own words, for what is oftenasserted about the potentially powerful impact of volunteering on young people’s livesand their relationship to the communities in which they live. We hope that this report doesjustice to their voices and experiences.
The project steering group and team
The project was supported by a steering group with representatives from the mainstakeholders, the Department for Education and Skills, the Learning and Skills Council,the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the national youth volunteeringorganisation v. The thoughts, suggestions and comments they contributed from a range ofperspectives enriched the planning and evaluation of the project. Special thanks go toChris Hutchings at the DfES for his sensitive and thorough oversight of the project.
The project team brought together National Youth Agency staff and consultants with arange of skills and experience. The project was managed by Pete Loewenstein. EmmaShuttlewood was the project administrator. The fieldwork was co-ordinated by MaureenO’Callaghan and was carried out by Clare Cooper, Merlynne Francique, Kerry Harrison,Pete Loewenstein, Maureen O’Callaghan, Dave Phillips, Helen Rand and Michele Rogers.Kerry Harrison and Carolyn Oldfield undertook the literature review. Carolyn Oldfieldanalysed the data and wrote the report.
4
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Background
In October 2006, the Department for Education and Skills commissioned The NationalYouth Agency (NYA) to undertake a six-month research project to explore the skills,knowledge and attitudinal development that young people derive from volunteering. Theproject was envisaged as a first stage in identifying the range of skills gained throughvolunteering that can be translated and potentially accredited to provide evidence foremployability.
The research remit was tightly defined as focusing on skills and learning developedthrough volunteering. While the researchers gained much interesting information aboutyoung people’s experiences of volunteering generally, there was no intention to analysethis or to consider issues related to quality in volunteering. The invitation to projects toparticipate in the research also stressed that The NYA was not seeking to evaluate orendorse the volunteering activities of individual organisations.
2. Methodology
The work was undertaken between November 2006 and March 2007. It combinedfieldwork with young volunteers (and workers) in 30 diverse projects throughout England,with a review of relevant literature. In all, 215 young people aged 11 to 25 wereinterviewed, of whom 57 per cent were female and 43 per cent male. Approximately 20per cent were from Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and just over 10 per cent hadsome kind of disability. Due to the relatively small sample, however, no attempt was madeto analyse the data by gender, ethnicity or other characteristics.
The data gained were coded against a framework for personal and social developmentskills previously developed by The NYA. This groups skills under the headings ofpersonal skills; interpersonal skills; and understanding contemporary issues.
3. Key findings
• Young people identify for themselves a wide range of personal and social skills developedthrough volunteering, but opportunities to reflect on and articulate this learning are oftenunderdeveloped.
• The fieldwork findings clearly support the evidence of the literature review that youngpeople can and do increase their self-confidence and self-esteem, develop a range ofcommunication skills and improve their ability to work with other people throughvolunteering.
• Volunteering can act as a catalyst for young people to engage more effectively with otherlearning, or in some cases re-engage with formal learning or training, putting them in aposition where they can develop skills and potentially gain qualifications.
• Many young people also develop practical skills related to their specific experiences ofvolunteering.
Three themes emerged strongly from the project: the potential contribution of volunteering toyoung people’s learning and skills development; the specific skills that young people identifiedand articulated; and the need for mechanisms to promote this learning and development.
5
The potential contribution of volunteering to learning and skills development
3.1 Starting where young people areThe fieldwork confirmed the findings of the accompanying literature review thatvolunteering can engage young people at all levels of achievement, from high achievers tothose who are on the margins of society. Some young people provided powerful personalevidence about how volunteering has helped them turn their lives around, while for othersvolunteering was explicitly seen as compensating for previously unsatisfactoryexperiences. For some young people volunteering acted as a catalyst to re-engage withlearning, while others identified ways in which volunteering helped them engage moreeffectively with formal education, as a result of better organisational and timemanagement skills, or improved their relationships with other people.
‘I’ve got a lot more confidence. Volunteering has changed my life. I got bullied atcollege, so through coming here and volunteering I’ve gained back the confidencethat I lost.’
‘I was getting into trouble, but with volunteering I’ve grown through this. Most of thethings I use everyday have come from, or been developed and improved byvolunteering.’
3.2 Volunteering is differentSome young people explicitly contrasted the skills and learning developed throughvolunteering with their experiences in other settings. They stressed that volunteeringbrought them into contact with a wider range of people than their experiences at school orat work, requiring them to develop skills of teamwork, leadership, negotiation and conflictresolution, and enabled them to take on roles that would surprise people that knew them inother settings.
‘You can’t just ignore someone if you have a problem with them, you have to sort itout and you learn how to do that, how to talk to the person and be able to get on withthem again.’
‘Volunteering gives you a chance to interact with different people – work doesn’t allowyou to do that.’
3.3 Preparation for employmentMost young people interviewed could identify how their volunteering was helping preparethem for employment. Volunteering had created opportunities to test out different careeroptions, gain practical experience and acquire skills related to specific types ofemployment. In some cases, experiences of volunteering had directly helped them to getinterviews and jobs. Many other young people believed that volunteering had helped themdevelop more general skills for being an effective employee and colleague in theworkplace.
‘Being a volunteer completely changed my outlook on life and what I wanted to do asa career, I realised that I wanted to do a job that helps people.’
‘School only gives you basic IT skills, here it’s workplace IT.’
‘I’ve learnt to respect myself and that other people will also respect me too.’
‘I am now more responsible than before, I am more aware that as a volunteer peopledepend on you, if you do not turn up, something just does not get done.’
6
3.4 Balancing the benefitsDespite this clear understanding of what they gained from volunteering, many youngpeople also highlighted the importance of giving - and being seen to give - something totheir communities through volunteering. Discussions of volunteering often appear toassume that instrumental and altruistic motivations (i.e. getting and giving) are opposed.However, it appears that for many young people, these two aspects are mutuallydependant and reinforcing, rather than conflicting. In particular, there seems to be a strongrelationship between young people’s sense of how their activities benefit theircommunities, and their increased self-esteem and self-worth when their contribution isrecognised.
Skills development
3.5 Skills identified by young peopleYoung people consistently reported improvements in self-confidence and communication,followed by teamwork and managing relationships. This supported the findings of the literaturereview. When given opportunities for more in-depth reflection through individual interviews,young people also often identified skills related to taking responsibility, preparation for work,problem-solving, and planning.
Mechanisms
3.6. Reflecting on experiencesThe literature review undertaken for this project identified a recurrent theme of a lack ofmechanisms for assessing volunteers’ learning outcomes and helping them reflect upon theirexperiences. This was confirmed by the fieldwork, which found that most young people had onlylimited experience of reflecting on their learning through volunteering, and welcomed theopportunities to do so through this project, particularly with other young people. The approachtaken by the project was important in facilitating this, since it sought to ‘drill down’ beneath thebroad categories of skills to find out the precise impact and outcomes for individual youngpeople.
‘You don’t notice a lot of the skills that you develop as you are using them everyday, they become normal.’
3.7 The interplay of skills and outcomesDuring this process of reflection, many young people revealed a sophisticatedunderstanding of the interplay of skills and outcomes, with a particular focus onexperiential learning - ‘learning by doing’. Their comments frequently stressed the way inwhich different skills reinforced each other, and the relationship between developingskills, having the confidence to use them, receiving positive feedback, and further skillsdevelopment - the creation of a ‘virtuous circle’. While this is important for ourunderstanding of the processes of skills development, it also indicates the difficulty ofcategorising interlinked skills under specific headings.
‘You get much more confident about performances, at first you are nervous, but thenyou do it and it goes well, so the next time you are less nervous and you reassure theyounger ones.’
‘I might be scared, but I don’t show it. I just show them how to do it. It has built upover time. I know what to do so am more confident.’
7
3.8 Validating different starting pointsBoth the literature review and the fieldwork highlighted the importance of recognisingdifferent starting points and motives for volunteering among young people. For some,involvement in volunteering is a conscious decision, perhaps to gain specific experiencesor because they want to change something. For other young people, volunteeringrepresents a progression from using services themselves, often with encouragement fromyouth workers or other practitioners, while others simply see volunteering as a way ofspending their time or adding to their social circle.
‘I had a really good incentive to get involved because I wanted to gain experienceand an insight into this area of work – testing out by doing it.’
‘I first came training. The senior coach asked me to help him and I startedvolunteering. I did the community sports leaders’ course.
3.9 The importance of the social dimensionElements such as making friends and enjoying themselves may feature more highly forsome young people than an explicit commitment to skills development. Those workingwith young people, however, need to be in a position to help them draw out their learningat the earliest possible stages – recognising that the social and fun elements may beessential prerequisites for skills development.
‘We were together all the time and got on really well so we all became mates who haddeveloped and grown up together and helped each other through things.’
3.10 The importance of recognitionThe research confirms the importance of young people receiving recognition forvolunteering, but reveals wide variations in how young people interpret this - from simplybeing thanked to receiving formal accreditation or qualifications. While a minority -usually those who were already achieving well in formal education - did not see formalrecognition as important, most young people involved in the research wanted their skills tobe at least recorded through certificates and evidence for CVs. This was seen asparticularly important for those who had little or no other evidence of achievement. Some- but not all - wanted formal accreditation.
‘I think I’ve always been a fairly confident person, but now I can back it up withevidence that says I’m good with people.’
‘I have always offered to help but it was nice to hear I would get a certificate for it,especially as I didn’t do well at GCSEs. I took my MV certificate to the interview, itdefinitely helped me get the job. The increase in confidence helped. I wouldn’t havegot it if I was my old self, I just went in there like I wanted it.’
4. Recommendations
1. The research findings need to be disseminated more widely, and appropriateorganisations identified to take forward its recommendations.
2. Summary reports should be produced to draw out the implications of this researchfor specific groups, such as young people themselves; information, advice andguidance professionals; and employers.
3. Clear definitions of volunteering (based on existing definitions), which clarify howactivities that young people are likely to be involved in count as volunteering,should be produced.
8
4. Volunteering projects should be encouraged to develop flexible programmes thatare as inclusive as possible and which maximise skills development. They shoulduse explicit mechanisms to record, review and evidence development of skills,knowledge and attitudes.
5. A toolkit should be developed for volunteering projects to help young peoplereflect on and articulate the skills they develop through volunteering in ways thatwill support more formal accreditation.
6. This research provides a solid base-line of the skills that could be included in apackage of accreditation measures and programmes. Any accreditation packagesneed to be flexible and wide-ranging, from local certificates to awards and wholequalifications, suited to varied volunteering contexts and the distinctiverequirements of different volunteers. The accreditation options should mesh inwith awards and qualifications that are currently used to accredit volunteering andrelated activities.
7. Any accreditation measures being developed should be compatible with currentawards and qualifications, and integrate with planned future provision andmeasures, such as the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and theSpecialised Diplomas. Any framework used to accredit personal and socialdevelopment skills in volunteering should be the same as that used to developPSD provision in the QCF and the Foundation Learning Tier.
8. The recognition and accreditation of volunteering should be built into allappropriate programmes and measures being developed by Qualifications andCurriculum Authority and the Learning and Skills Council.
9. Funding streams should incorporate requirements for organisations to offer youngpeople opportunities to identify and articulate the skills developed throughvolunteering.
10. Work should be undertaken with UCAS to encourage greater recognition ofvolunteering in university selection processes.
11. Volunteering organisations’ existing good practice in fostering skills developmentand accreditation should be identified and shared at national, regional and locallevels.
12. Consideration should be given to continue to bring together steering groupmembers, plus other relevant bodies (e.g. the Cabinet Office), to assess progress onthe recognition of skills developed through volunteering.
13. Further research should be undertaken to:
Determine the impact of different economic and social contexts on thedevelopment of skills through volunteering;
Gain greater insight into the practical skills gained as a result of volunteering;and
Explore the role of adult practitioners (and older peer models) in supportingyoung people’s entry into and progression through volunteering.
9
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 The Department for Education and Skills commissioned The National Youth Agency(NYA) to undertake a six-month research project to explore the skills, knowledge andattitudinal development that young people derive from volunteering. The project focusedon skills that are valued by young people, employers and educationalists, particularlythose related to personal and social development and a range of practical skills. It emergedfrom concerns about a lack of hard evidence about the value of volunteering to individualyoung people. Furthermore, relatively little work has been done to assess the preciseoutcomes of volunteering on young people’s skills development, aspirations, knowledgeand attitudes, and how their experiences can be translated into evidence for employability.The project was envisaged as a first stage in identifying the range of skills gained throughvolunteering that could be accredited in a variety of ways. It is hoped that the nationalyouth volunteering organisation v will be able to use the results of this project to workwith others to develop accreditation options.
2.2 The research remit was tightly defined, focusing on skills and learning developedthrough volunteering. While the researchers gained much interesting information aboutyoung people’s experiences of volunteering, there was no intention to analyse this moregenerally, or to consider issues related to quality in volunteering. The invitation to projectsto participate in the research also stressed that The NYA was not seeking to evaluate orendorse the volunteering activities of individual organisations.
2.3 The definition of volunteering adopted by the project was based on VolunteeringEngland’s definition, supplemented by the detail contained in the Compact onVolunteering. This allows for a broad interpretation, encompassing activities such asproject management, peer support, campaigning and representation, as well as helpingother people.1
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 The project combined fieldwork with young volunteers (and workers) in 30 projectsacross England with a review of relevant literature. The literature review took placebetween November 2006 and January 2007, and the fieldwork was undertaken betweenDecember 2006 and February 2007. Most projects were visited once, but six projects werevisited twice, allowing for more in-depth exploration of the skills gained throughvolunteering.2 Two kinds of records were obtained: reports of group sessions from the 30projects, and a further 29 reports based on interviews (face-to-face or telephone) withindividual young people. In addition, young people and workers were also invited tocomplete questionnaires to assess whether specific skills had gone up, down or remainedthe same.
3.2 Projects were chosen to ensure that they offered a range of approaches andvolunteering opportunities. The fieldwork sites selected included organisations whichexplicitly focused on volunteering and those which offered volunteering opportunities
1 See Appendix 1 for the definition of volunteering circulated to the researchers.2 It was originally envisaged that the fieldwork sites would be visited twice, but this was not done in all cases for a number of reasons: in some instances enough information was gained in a single visit; it was difficult to bring the same young people together for two visits; and some groups met together relatively infrequently, meaning that a second visit was not possible within the project’s timescale.
10
within a broader menu of activities. This meant that some young people identifiedthemselves as volunteers, but others did not. The research therefore included introductorydiscussions to draw out young people’s understanding of volunteering and consider whichactivities could be defined as volunteering.
3.3 While some projects focused on specific volunteering activities such as creative arts,community safety or peer support, others offered a broad menu of volunteering activities.These included sports coaching, peer education, representing other young people, mediawork, environmental action, campaigning, working with children or older people, helpingrun youth projects, developing websites, awarding grants to other young people,volunteering in hospitals and hospices, supporting young carers, fundraising, working incharity shops and international volunteering.3
3.4 The fieldwork sites were also selected to ensure that between them, they involved adiverse range of young people and captured a variety of experiences. Due to the relativelysmall sample, however, no attempt was made to analyse the data by gender, ethnicity orother characteristics. In total, 215 young people were interviewed, of whom 123 werefemale and 92 male. In terms of age, 24 participants were aged 11 to 15 (12%), 138 wereaged 16 to 19 (68%), and 45 were aged 20 to 25 (20%).4
Fig. 1. Ages of young people interviewed
24
138
45
11 to 15 16 to 19 20 to 25
Base = 207 young people
Approximately 80 per cent of participants (162 young people) were white and just over 20per cent (46 young people) were from Black and Minority Ethnic groups.
3 See Appendix 2 for details of the projects visited and the volunteering opportunities they offered.4 Information on the ages of eight young people was not recorded.
11
Fig. 2. Ethnic origins of young people interviewed
169
46
White young people Black and Minority Ethnic young people
Base: 215 young people
Fig. 3. Black and Minority Ethnic young people interviewed
21
18
51 1
Black African/Caribbean/BritishAsianMixed heritageChineseBlack other
Base = 46 young people
3.5 Just over 10 per cent (23 young people) had some kind of disability, includinglearning, physical and sensory disabilities, and mental health issues. Other life experiencesrevealed by the young people interviewed included being in care, young parents, havingbeen in prison, long-term unemployment, being a carer or asylum seeker, dyslexia,substance misuse and homelessness. Between them, the organisations involved youngpeople across different levels of learning and academic attainment, from young peoplewith significant learning disabilities to university students and graduates, in some casesworking together on the same projects.
3.6 Other criteria used to identify fieldwork sites included their ability to take part in thetime available, and to bring together groups of between six and 12 young people who werewilling to be interviewed on one or two occasions. Workers were asked to make thepractical arrangements for the visits and, in some instances, to be interviewed about
12
volunteers’ progress, but otherwise to play a low key role to ensure that their views andinterventions did not directly affect what young people said.
3.7 The research team comprised five NYA staff and four consultants, with one of theconsultants taking on responsibility for coordinating the fieldwork. Each project visitinvolved two researchers, in order to separate facilitation and recording roles. Theresearchers used a variety of methods according to circumstances, including groupdiscussions, individual interviews, questionnaires and a range of activities and exercisesdeveloped in advance by the research team.5 Two types of data were collected: numericaldata on the frequency of mention of specific skills, knowledge and attitudinal change byyoung people, and more detailed information based on recording young people’s owncomments about their learning and development through volunteering. These data werecoded against a framework for personal and social development (PSD) skills developed asa result of a detailed mapping exercise undertaken by The NYA on behalf of the Networkfor Accrediting Young People’s Achievement in the winter of 2005.6 This groups skillsunder three broad headings: personal skills; interpersonal skills; and understandingcontemporary issues (such as understanding society and diversity and preparation forwork). This was adapted to give examples of more specific applications under eachspecific skill, in order to promote consistency of recording.7 In addition, young people andworkers were also invited to complete questionnaires to assess whether specific skills hadgone up, down or remained the same.
3.8 A small steering group was set up to oversee the project, including representativesfrom the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Learning and Skills Council(LSC), the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the national youthvolunteering organisation v, with NYA staff and consultants in attendance.8
5 See Appendix 6 for more information on the toolkit of methods used.6 This work was commissioned by the QCA to support the development of the Personal and Social Development strand of the Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) and the Qualifications and Credit Framework. The framework has been used to develop commonly used and shared PSD Units, which have been agreed in March 2007 and which will be trialled and tested in the FLT in 2007-08.7 See Appendices 4 and 5 for the skills framework and questionnaires.8 See Appendix 3 for details of the steering group membership.
13
4. LITERATURE REVIEW
4.1 The literature review examined a number of research and evaluation reports on youngpeople’s volunteering. They included independent evaluations of specific programmes,including Millennium Volunteers (MV),9 the Young Volunteer Challenge (YVC),10 ActiveCitizens in Schools (ACiS)11and the Prince’s Trust Volunteer programme.12 In addition, asmall number of reports on local projects and publications from volunteering organisationsadvocating the benefits of volunteering were looked at. Some literature relating tocitizenship education - particularly the post-16 citizenship pilot programme and thecommunity involvement strand of citizenship education, and service learning was alsoexamined. Appendix 7 gives details of the publications reviewed.
4.2 It is clear from the review that young people, and those working with them, believethat they benefit from volunteering. The evaluation of MV described the ‘real impact ofthe programme’ as related to the benefits accruing to young volunteers.13 Similarly,researchers identified a range of benefits for young people volunteering through ACiS,and noted that although the type of impacts were what respondents had expected, somethought they were much greater in scale than anticipated.14 The evaluation of Action Pays,a three-year programme supporting youth-led action, concluded that ‘almost all theparticipants felt that the most important gains made were increased self-confidence,teamwork skills, having fun, cooperation, compromise, listening to others,communication, meeting people and making friends.’15
4.3 This theme of a mix of personal and interpersonal skills, particularly those related toself-confidence, communication and working with other people, runs throughout theliterature. Around four out of five (or more) volunteers across different programmesidentified improvements in self confidence, communication and working with others:
• Confidence: 84 per cent of MVs interviewed as part of the evaluation of theprogramme, 79 per cent of ACiS participants and 91 per cent of Prince’s TrustVolunteer programme participants believed that their self-confidence hadincreased.
• Communication: 82 per cent of YVC participants, 91 per cent of Prince’s Trustparticipants and 79 per cent of ACiS participants identified improvedcommunication skills.
• Working with others: 81 per cent of MVs thought they were better at working withothers, as did 79 per cent of ACiS and YVC participants.
9 Institute for Volunteering Research, UK-wide evaluation of the Millennium Volunteers programme. DfES, 2002. MV is a UK-wide government supported initiative designed to promote sustained part-time volunteering.10 GHK Consulting, Evaluation of the Young Volunteer Challenge Pilot Programme. DfES, 2006. YVC aimed to increase full-time volunteering among young people from low-income backgrounds.11Ellis, A, Active Citizens in School: evaluation of the DfES Pilot Programme. DfES, 2005. AciS built on MV by seeking to engage 11-15 year olds in sustained volunteering activities through school.12 MORI, A personal development programme for 16-25s, follow up survey of participants. The Prince’s Trust., 1997?13 UK-wide evaluation of the Millennium Volunteers programme, p. ix.14 Active Citizens in School, p. 4115 Evans, R et al, Does Youth Action Pay? An evaluation of Action Pays. University of Hull, 2002, p. 23.
14
4.4 While not quantified in the same way, the final report into the Post-16 Citizenshippilot found that both young people and adults involved in the project highlighted theimprovements in young people’s confidence and communication skills, coupled with agreater knowledge and awareness of social issues.16 An evaluation of young people ledaction groups identified three main areas of impact resulting from their involvement insocial action: confidence and self-worth, sense of personal identity, and the developmentof skills and abilities, including employment related skills such as ICT, organisationalskills, team-working, negotiation and conflict resolution.17
4.5 In addition to the development of these personal and social skills, the literaturehighlights some less tangible aspects such as being treated with respect, feeling moreengaged with others, and a sense of agency and achievement, which in turn affect youngpeople’s behaviour and willingness to engage in learning.18
4.6 Despite this clear acknowledgement of the benefits that can be derived fromvolunteering, many reports identify a widespread lack of understanding of the value ofvolunteering (and of specific programmes) among employers, teachers, Connexions andcareers advisers etc. and highlighted the need to promote and publicise the skillsdeveloped through volunteering. This was an issue for MV in particular, where its sloganof ‘put MV on your CV’ was felt to be undermined by employers’ lack of awareness ofthe programme. The need to promote a more positive image of volunteering among youngpeople was also highlighted.
4.7 The importance of acknowledging young people’s different starting points emergesstrongly from various reports. The evaluation of YVC, for instance, notes that for youngvolunteers entering the programme with few or no qualifications, the benefits were framedin terms of ‘improved confidence and, in many cases, increased familiarity with a “worksituation”.’ It suggested, however, that the programme had the most impact on youngpeople with GCSEs, with the volunteering experience leading to a shift in aspirations andchanged job ambitions.19 The evaluation of MV similarly notes that impacts on‘volunteers were clearly relative to their starting point and to their life experiences’; whilesome volunteers reported ‘huge quantifiable personal gain’, such as developing skills oridentifying career paths, for others the benefits related to increased self-worth or self-confidence. The reviewers found that for young people who had experienced socialexclusion, ‘it was suggested that even the slightest gain in self-esteem or confidence couldhave a significant impact.’20
4.8 A recurring theme in the evaluation of specific volunteering programmes is the lack ofmechanisms for assessing volunteers’ learning outcomes and enabling them to reflect ontheir experiences and the impact of these experiences. This was identified as a weakness inseveral programmes, including ACIS, the post-16 citizenship pilots and MV. In contrast,Student Volunteering England’s ‘No Substitute for Experience’ project provides aframework for student volunteers to identify and articulate the skills they have developed
16 Craig, R et al, Taking Post-16 Citizenship Forward: learning from the post-16 development projects. DfES, 2004, 6.3.17 Roker, D and Eden, K, A Longitudinal Study of young people’s involvement in social action: end of award report to the ESRC. Trust for the Study of Adolescence (unpublished report) 2002, p. 17.18 See, for instance, Lister, R et al. Young People’s Voices: citizenship education. Youth Work Press, 2001, Ch. 4. This was also found in the evaluations of YVC and ACiS.19 Evaluation of the Young Volunteer Challenge Pilot Programme, p. 61.20 UK-wide evaluation of the Millennium Volunteers programme, p. 51.
15
through volunteering and relate them to employers’ needs.21
4.9 The literature indicates the existence of a range of views on accreditation. While manyproject staff agreed that accreditation was particularly useful for young people who hadnot achieved well in formal education, they argued that this should not involve exams orover-formal methods. Young people generally wanted some form of accreditation, buttended to think this should take the form of certificates or awards (preferably personalised)rather than exams. Awards offered by programmes such as MV or ACIS were generallyvalued by recipients but some are not well understood outside the sector.
4.10 Accredited training opportunities linked to specific volunteering activities appear tobe most popular. The evaluation of the Community Merits Awards highlights theimportance of certificates and qualifications for disengaged young people, for whom thesewere often the first evidence of achievement.22 The YVC evaluation found that trainingwas most popular, and potentially most effective, when it linked to vocational aspects ofvolunteering placements, such as coaching awards, first aid or youth leadership.23
4.11 Although this was not a specific focus of this review, some reports from volunteeringorganisations discuss the skills required by employers and higher education institutionsand argue that volunteering can help develop these skills. Student Volunteering England,for instance, claims that volunteering provides an ideal base for developing the skills andcompetences identified by the Association of Graduate Recruiters in ‘Skills for Graduatesin the 21st Century’. These include self-awareness, communication, flexibility,negotiation, networking, team working and action planning.24 CSV has also published theresults of a survey of human resources directors of top UK companies, in which it reportedthat over 80 per cent of respondents believed that volunteers develop ‘above-average’ selfconfidence and teamwork skills, while 74 agreed that volunteers develop bettercommunication skills.25 The importance of these skills was stressed by HM Treasury’srecent discussion paper on policy for children and young people, which states that: ‘Non-cognitive skills (such as communication or team working) are also seen as a priority – insurveys of employers, skills gaps are often identified in the areas of communication,customer handling and team working skills’.26
21 Student Volunteering England, No Substitute for Experience: PDP and volunteering toolkit. SVE, 2006.22 Youth Justice Board, Community Merit Awards: an evaluation. YJB, 2005, p. 4. Piloted as part of the Youth Inclusion Programme, the awards aimed to involve the 50 most disaffected young people aged 13 to 16 in a given area in community renewal work, through providing rewards for participation.23 Evaluation of the Young Volunteer Challenge Pilot Programme, p. 45.24 No Substitute for Experience, p. 7.25 CSV, The Value of Volunteering – developing ‘soft skills’ through volunteering. CSV 2006.26 HM Treasury, Policy review of children and young people: a discussion paper. H.M Treasury, 2007, para. 1.15.
16
5. BROAD ISSUES EMERGING FROM THE FIELDWORK
5.1 This project endorses in broad terms the findings of previous research examined in theliterature review and, through its attention to the components of different skills and thedetail of young people’s own descriptions of skills developed, adds greater depth andunderstanding to what this means for individual young people. However, beforeexamining what young people said about their skills and learning through volunteering, itis worth highlighting some broader issues emerging from the research.
The research process
5.2 The project intentionally sought to engage young people who identified themselves asvolunteers, and those who did not. It involved those involved in what is traditionallyrecognised as volunteering, and those who are on the fringes of volunteering, or whoperceive their volunteering as incidental to their youth work or other activities. While thiscreated difficulties for the researchers, who needed to start by establishing a commonunderstanding of volunteering, the broad range of volunteering experience gives greaterweight to the project’s findings.
5.3 Some young people had difficulty in seeing their activities as volunteering, becausethey saw volunteering as activities which benefited others, not themselves. Others saw alltheir activities with a youth project as volunteering, perhaps because of the stress on youthwork as voluntary engagement. Others were confused between volunteering, training andwork experience. Workers’ understanding was also critical and limited in some cases,leading them to either understate or exaggerate young people’s involvement involunteering.
5.4 The researchers sought to ensure that the skills that young people identified werespecific to their volunteering experiences. However, the project indicates the difficulty ofdifferentiating between skills and learning gained through volunteering, and thoseresulting from other interventions, such as the youth work which provides the context forvolunteering, from particular life changes such as becoming a parent, or from simplygrowing up. This difficulty is, of course, not unique to volunteering.
5.5 Young people and staff welcomed the opportunities to reflect on the impact of theirvolunteering, particularly the opportunities for group reflection. This indicates theimportance of building this reflection into volunteering programmes and activities. Assessions progressed, young people offered more sophisticated responses about skills andlearning, indicating that the research project has stimulated real thought and self-assessment. One organisation adapted the skills framework used for the project to form thebasis for peer research into the benefits of volunteering. The researchers noted that ‘deeperexploration of issues’ was possible as a result of young people having already engaged inthis process.
5.6 During this process of reflection, many young people revealed a sophisticatedunderstanding of the interplay of skills and outcomes, with a particular focus onexperiential learning - ‘learning through doing’. Their comments stressed the way inwhich different skills reinforced each other, and the relationship between developingskills, having the confidence to use them, receiving positive feedback, and further skillsdevelopment - the creation of a ‘‘virtuous circle’. Some young people also identified arepertoire of entrepreneurial skills, a current focus of interest among educationalists and
17
employers - the ability to take experiment and take risks, assess situations and adapt plansaccordingly, think ‘outside the box’, develop their own projects and so on.
Motivations for volunteering
5.7 Young people identified a range of motivations for volunteering, which often changedas they became more involved. While some young people interviewed explicitly set out tovolunteer to gain skills or experience in specific areas with future careers or study in mind,or because they want to help others or bring about change, others become involved in aless purposeful way. Members of one group, for instance, were offered a choice betweenschool sport and volunteering (which extended beyond school hours). Many young peoplestart ‘helping out’ in organisations where they have been service users as a result ofencouragement by youth workers or other practitioners. As discussed below, it is clear thatthe role of youth workers or other ‘significant adults’ in engaging young people involunteering and helping them identify their learning is critical.
5.8 Other young people may simply see volunteering as a way of spending their time;‘friends were talking about it, there was nothing to do in the evening so I came’. Severalyoung people with disabilities indicated that volunteering was an alternative to ‘beingstuck at home’, or ‘looking at my bedroom walls’. For these young people elements suchas making friends and enjoying themselves may feature more highly than an explicitcommitment to skills development. It is, however, vital that those working with youngpeople are in a position to help them draw out their learning at the earliest possible stages -recognising that the social and fun elements may be essential prerequisites for skillsdevelopment.
5.9 In the volunteering world there is frequent discussion of the balance betweeninstrumental and altruistic motivations - i.e. between getting and giving. This balance willdiffer between individuals and is likely to change over time for each individual. However,the findings from this research indicate that for many young people these two aspects aremutually dependent and reinforcing, rather than conflicting.
5.10 In addition to the importance of being sensitive to young people’s motivations forvolunteering, some visits highlighted the importance of responding to parents or carers’aspirations for their children and their understanding of the value of volunteering. Thismay be a particular issue for poor families, where young people’s immediate ability tocontribute to the family income may be seen as more important than potential longer termfinancial benefits from skills acquisition through volunteering.
The importance of skilled support
5.11 The importance of a ‘significant adult’ or older young person (peer role model) withthe skills to nurture, support and challenge young people to develop through volunteeringwas evident throughout the research. While this role was frequently undertaken by a youthworker, it is the ability to provide personal support to young people and the commitmentto helping them develop, reflect on their learning and apply it in other settings that iscritical, rather than any particular job title. However, youth work skills and approachesprovide a basis for engaging young people and putting them in position to develop skills
18
through volunteering.27 Young people, particularly those with difficult lives, were clearabout the importance of support from their workers. As one young person put it, ‘when[the worker] says, “well done, you’ve worked hard today”, I feel good, I really want toimpress them’, while another reported that they had had ‘lots of encouragement fromworkers about using my experience to progress onto other things’.
Comparisons between learning from volunteering and other settings
5.12 While some young people found it difficult to distinguish between what they gainedthrough volunteering and through other interventions, or simply as a result of growing up,others clearly differentiated between their experiences as volunteers and those in othersettings.
5.13 Members of one group, whose activities led to a strong focus on teamwork, stressedhow different their experience was from school: ‘you don’t learn any of these things atschool [how to get along with people, to sort out conflict]; if you have an argument withsomeone at school you just ignore them, but here you can’t do that, you have to confrontit.’ A volunteer from another project commented, ‘I learn a lot more in volunteering than Ido in school.’
5.14 Young people also found that their volunteering allowed them to put skills intopractice. ‘I’ve got a much better understanding of performing arts - college gave me thetheory’, commented one young person, while another noted that ‘school only gives youbasic IT skills - here it’s workplace IT.’ Young people at one project contrasted theirexperiences while volunteering with those at work, commenting that they had ‘learnt andapplied more through volunteering than through my job’, and that ‘volunteering gives youa chance to interact with different people - work doesn’t allow you to do that.’ One youngperson with learning disabilities began volunteering because college no longer met herneeds; she wanted to do ‘proper work’.
5.15 Volunteering appears to offer many young people a relatively quick win. Theindividual interviews and questionnaires revealed that many young people believed thattheir skills had improved after only limited experience of volunteering. However, in somecases, it seems that more experienced volunteers are more self-critical of their level ofskills. One group, for instance, pointed to their increasingly sophisticated understanding ofthe needs of disabled young people, and their corresponding anxiety about whether theywere responding appropriately to their needs. Another young person, reflecting on whetherher decision-making skills had improved, wrote: ‘sort of – better in some ways, worse inothers. Used to be more decisive, now make more considered decisions but I do agoniseover it!’
5.16 Some young people related their volunteering to their own experiences of exclusion.One young man who was supporting young learners was driven by his experience of‘second rate’ schooling: ‘I suffered at school because I am dyslexic… so when I see theyoung guys I know how it feels to be written off… that’s where my passion comes from…you have to have been there to understand and read their emotions’. Another youngperson, who had been in special needs education and transferred to mainstream in yearnine to complete GCSEs, explained that ‘volunteering shows that no matter what your 27 The National Youth Agency, Ethical Conduct in Youth Work: a statement of values and principles from The National Youth Agency. NYA, 2000.
19
background or your past experiences … you can change yourself and help others’.Another volunteer stressed that he was able to relate to young people with problemsbecause of his own experience: ‘I am working with young people who have had problems.I have had a drink problem and lived on the streets before and so I know about that. Youcan work with people that are going through that and they know you understand what it islike. You can use this experience in a positive way.’
Impact on other areas of life
5.17 Young people’s comments about the future demonstrate that they believed that theskills they had developed or hoped to develop through volunteering could be applied todifferent aspects of their lives. These included doing well in further or higher education,getting on in the workplace, setting up their own business, home and family, keeping outof prison, being confident in everyday situations or ‘when things have gone wrong andyou need to be assertive’, and independent living.
5.18 Many young people believed that volunteering had positive effects on other areas oftheir lives, for instance, making them more able to benefit from formal education as aresult of increased organisation and time management skills, and growth in confidence.One young person reported that they ‘didn’t used to be organised’ but that they were now‘using what I’ve learnt to organise my workload’. According to another, ‘I feel moreconfident volunteering. I used to be a bit shy. This helps with problem solving at college. Itake the lead now, I have developed leadership skills.’ Another young person commentedthat ‘doing voluntary work has helped my studies - the experience gives you an idea ofwhat it’s like to work in an organisation rather than just studying’.
5.19 For a small number of young people, volunteering has provided a means of turningtheir lives around, confounding people’s expectations or compensating for earlier failure.One young woman reported ‘volunteering has taught me to stay calm. I am grown up, Iam not a Street Rat. I am into doing something good, not sitting at the shelter on the estate.Most people thought I would be on benefits by now, living in a hostel.’ Such individualtestimonies confirm the findings of the literature review that volunteering can engageyoung people not involved in - or not doing well in - formal learning or training, puttingthem in a position where they can develop skills and potentially gain qualifications.
5.20 Many young people also stressed the transferability of skills gained throughvolunteering to all areas of their lives. According to one, ‘I apply my experiences fromvolunteering daily. I’m broke and on benefits and I’m doing what I can to make mycommunity better, some people are grateful and some people are ungrateful. I’m applyingall of my skills to all of the work I do, in my family, in my own life and with mycommunity.’ Another commented that ‘the confidence you learn from [the volunteering]helps bring the other things that you learn in your life together.’
5.21 Several young people also specifically noted that volunteering had helped them intoemployment. One young person, for instance, said that their volunteering had helped himget a job at a car body shop after being unemployed for over two years. He hadvolunteered to show he was able to work, and had developed a range of skills which henow used at work, including handling money and customer service skills. Other youngpeople reported gaining work in areas such as play, as a result of their volunteering.Another young person reported that ‘my experiences got me a job at Primark - [I] had tocompete with 16 other people to get the job’, while a third had gained employment in
20
gardening as a result of a voluntary placement. It was notable that staff in four of theprojects visited had started at their projects as volunteers.
A, aged 15, has been volunteering for two years. She is involved in a range ofactivities including peer mentoring, conservation and representing other young people.‘Volunteering is useful for me, it helps you to mature, it gives you a sense of wellbeingand it definitely helps in your future career and is a good thing for your CV.
‘Through mentoring I’ve learnt listening skills, they make it easier to connect withthe person, they are not used to it [being listened to]. I’ve learnt to be more non-judgemental and not to judge on first impressions. I’ve got a lot more confident andunderstanding. Through [youth council/parliament] I’ve learnt how to speak to people incertain situations, like to the public. I’ve learnt confidence because you know how to dosomething, this has an impact on your social groups and friendships.
I can reach a top B in singing now, that’s something I couldn’t do before and I’velearnt that through volunteering as a vocal coach.’
In year 7 I was getting into trouble, but with volunteering I’ve grown through this.Most of the things I use everyday have come from, or been developed and improved byvolunteering. It’s had a complete impact on my life. You don’t notice a lot of the skillsthat you develop as you are using them everyday, they become normal. I really enjoydoing what I do, it is a much better way of learning. I’m partially dyslexic and this is ahandicap at school, so volunteering is a much easier way for me to learn.’
21
6. FIELDWORK FINDINGS
Skills development: an overview
6.1 The researchers used a range of methods to draw out young people’s perceptions ofthe skills they had developed through volunteering. These included group and individualdiscussion, a range of exercises, and questionnaires. Young people’s comments werecoded against the Personal and Social Skills Framework, which groups skills under thethree broad headings of personal skills, interpersonal skills, and contemporary issues.
6.2 These data were then analysed on the basis of how often each different skill wasmentioned in the sessions. This is a fairly crude measure, but provides an indication ofwhich skills young people are most likely to develop through volunteering. It should benoted, however, that many of the skills are closely related, and categorising statementsunder single headings was sometimes difficult and at times inevitably somewhat arbitrary.Moreover, as discussed above, young people themselves clearly saw different skills asinterlinked and mutually reinforcing.
6.3 The findings support the evidence of the literature review that volunteering can increaseyoung people’s self-confidence and self-esteem, develop a range of communication skills, andimprove their ability to work with other people. Analysis of the group sessions demonstrates thatself-confidence and communication skills were the personal skills most frequently identified,followed by the interpersonal skills of teamwork and managing relationships.
Fig. 4. Number of times each skill mentioned (all sites)234
155
122
10798 93 89
70
49 4938 37 33 32
25
85
5662
34
0
50
100
150
200
250
Self-confid
ence
Communication
Teamwork
Managing relatio
nships
Understanding society
Self-management
Preparation fo
r work
Active lis
tening
Leadership
Impro
ving learn
ing
Taking responsibilit
y
Decision-making
Understanding diversity
Self-awareness
Problem-solving
Rights and responsibilit
ies
Planning
Negotiatio
n
Budgeting
Base: 205 young people at 29 sites28
6.4 It is possible, however, that ranking skills by the number of times they are mentionedmay result in some distortion if, for instance, some skills are repeatedly mentioned by a
28 Although 30 sites were identified and visited, young people at one site had no experience of volunteering, and were therefore excluded from this analysis.
22
relatively small number of individuals. Alternatively, all or most of those involved in aparticular organisation may identify the same skills, because of the particular focus oftheir volunteering. The analysis therefore also looked at the number of fieldwork siteswhich identified each skill - i.e. a particular skill was identified by one or more youngpeople during group or individual sessions at that site - in order to get a better picture ofskills development across the range of volunteering activity. Figure 5 shows the results.
Fig. 5. Number of fieldwork sites identifying skills
29
25 2524
23
21 21
18
16
1413 13
1211
10
13
1817
19
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Self-confid
ence
Communication
Managing relatio
nships
Teamwork
Self-management
Active lis
tening
Leadership
Understanding society
Taking responsibilit
y
Preparation fo
r work
Understanding diversity
Self-awareness
Impro
ving learn
ing
Planning
Negotiatio
n
Budgeting
Rights and responsibilit
ies
Decision-making
Problem-solving
Base = 29 sites
6.5 Looking at the findings in this way confirms the dominance of self-confidence,communication, teamwork and managing relationships in the skills identified. Amongmost of the other skills, there are only minor variations in their ranking between the‘numbers of mentions’ and ‘number of fieldwork sites mentioning’ measures. However,decision-making, problem-solving and improving own learning skills score lower on thelatter measure, perhaps suggesting that skills in these areas are developed in a relativelysmall number of projects or activities. Understanding society also comes lower down therankings. This may be accounted for by the passion with which some young people spokeabout their commitment to societal improvement and change, resulting in repeatedmentions.
6.6 Individual interviews were carried out with 29 young people from 10 projects.Analysis of these shows that the ‘top four’ of self-confidence, communication, workingwith others and managing relationships were once again the most frequently cited skills.But the next three skills identified include taking responsibility and problem-solving,which were relatively infrequently identified in the group sessions.
23
Fig. 6. Number of young people identifying skills in individual interviews
2322
16 1615
1413
1211
10 10 10
54
0
10
1211
12
0
5
10
15
20
25
Self-confid
ence/self-esteem
Communication
Teamwork
Managing relatio
nships
Taking responsibilit
y
Preparation fo
r work
Problem-solving
Planning
Self-management
Leadership
Self-awareness
Understanding diversity
Impro
ving own learn
ing
Active lis
tening
Negotiatio
n
Understanding society
Decision-making
Budgeting
Rights and responsibilit
ies
Base = 29 young people
6.7 While it is difficult to draw any conclusions from this small sample, this suggests thatthe opportunities for more in-depth reflection provided by individual interviews may haveallowed young people to recognise skills acquisition in areas not readily revealed in thegroup sessions. Had it been possible to carry out more individual interviews, therefore, itis possible that a slightly different range of skills might have been identified after the ‘topfour’.
6.8 In an alternative approach to gaining young people’s views on the skills they haddeveloped, 35 young people completed questionnaires on whether specific skills hadincreased, decreased or stayed the same as a result of their volunteering. They were alsoasked to rate their skills on a five point scale from very low to very high. Figure 7, on thenext page, shows that once again, self-confidence and communication emerge as the mostcommonly improved skills. Again it is difficult to generalise about such a small sample,but it is interesting to note that young people were equally split between whether theirskills in managing relationships had gone up or stayed the same - 16 respondents in eachcase. Most of those who reported no change in this area were fairly confident about theirabilities, with 14 of the 16 stating that their skills in managing relationships were mediumor high. A small number of respondents identified one or more skills as having gonedown. It is possible that there may be various reasons for this: projects not providingopportunities to develop specific skills; young people becoming more self-critical as theygain more experience through volunteering; or simply misunderstanding the questionnaire.
24
Fig. 7. Skills change through volunteering - young people's views
28 2826
25 2524
2322
21 21 21 2120
1716
1513
1211
65
89
108
1110
1312
11 1112
10
16
12
1516 16
1 12
12 2 2
1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Comm
unicat
ion
Self-c
onfiden
ce
Plannin
g
Takin
g resp
onsibili
ty
Self-m
anag
emen
t
Impro
ving o
wn lear
ning
Self-a
waren
ess
Decis
ion-m
akin
g
Proble
m-s
olvin
g
Activ
e lis
tenin
g
Work
ing w
ith o
ther
s
Negotia
tion
Leader
ship
Job s
eeki
ng ski
lls
Man
agin
g rela
tionsh
ips
Rights
and re
sponsi
bilitie
s
Values
and b
elie
fs
Budgetin
g
Underst
andin
g dis
crim
inat
ion
Skills gone up Skills stayed the same Skills gone down
Base = 35 young people
6.9 Workers from five organisations also completed questionnaires giving their views of32 young people’s individual skills development through volunteering. Figure 8 shows theresults.
2927
26
23 2321
20 2019
1817 17
16 1615 15 15
119
32
4
6 6 6
11
76
1012
910
911
1012
11 11
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
5
10
15
20
25
30
Self-c
onfiden
ce
Impro
ving o
wn lear
ning
Team
work
Takin
g resp
onsibili
ty
Comm
unicat
ion
Plannin
g
Self-m
anag
emen
t
Decis
ion-m
akin
g
Self-a
waren
ess
Man
agin
g rela
tionsh
ips
Proble
m-s
olvin
g
Leader
ship
Underst
andin
g dis
crim
inat
ion
underst
andin
g soci
ety
Activ
e lis
tenin
g
Rights
and re
sponsi
bilitie
s
Prepar
atio
n for w
ork
Budgetin
g
Negotia
tion
Skills gone up Skills stayed the same Skills gone down
Fig. 8. Skills change through volunteering - workers' views
Base = 32 young people
25
6.10 Again, it is a very small sample, but it is interesting to note that unlike the youngpeople, no workers identified any skills as having gone down, and they appear slightly lesslikely than the young people to believe that skills have remained unchanged. Like theyoung people, however, they identify the most improvement in personal and interpersonalskills, rather than contemporary issues.
6.11 Young people also reported developing a variety of practical skills as a result of theirvolunteering, for instance ICT and office skills, gardening, food preparation, creativeskills, and the ability to work with specific groups, such as children or people in hospital.Many of them explicitly linked these skills to potential career areas and improvedemployability in general, and this will be considered in the discussion of preparation forwork in section of this report.
26
Personal skills
6.12 This heading embraces a range of skills, attitudes and knowledge related toindividuals’ sense of their own identity and their ability to manage themselves. It coversqualities and skills such as self-awareness, self-confidence and self-esteem; setting goalsand identifying how to achieve them; communicating effectively in different mediums;and solving problems and making decisions. The broad term of ‘self-management’includes a range of skills and attributes, such as self-discipline, anger and stressmanagement, managing time effectively, patience and adaptability.
Self-confidence
6.13 The young people interviewed repeatedly stressed that volunteering had increasedtheir self-confidence, self-esteem and self-belief. Their comments, however, reveal howfar this is intertwined with developing other skills. In particular, increased self-confidenceseems to be strongly linked to improved communication skills, particularly among thosewho indicate that they were previously shy, nervous about meeting new people or sociallyisolated.
6.14 Many young people also stress the experiential learning provided throughvolunteering, the ‘learning by doing’, which reinforces their sense of their own abilities.Some of their comments explicitly contrast this with previous expectations of failure.Another theme which emerges strongly is their sense of other people believing in them. Asa result of their volunteering, they feel good about helping others, and therefore betterabout themselves, and believe that they are valued by other people.
I now feel more confident, not so daft. Now I believe I can do it. Having to talk toyoung people more made me realise I could do it.
I think I’ve always been a fairly confident person but now I can back it up withevidence that says I’m good with people, that gives you even more confidence.
You get more confident about performances, at first you are nervous, but then you doit and it goes well, so the next time you are less nervous, and you reassure the youngerones who are finding it nervous. We tell them they have done well and that gives themmore confidence.
If somebody helps me I can help other people. I am more confident, I don’t go intothings thinking I am going to make mistakes.
Involvement [in MV] came about after I was going through a low patch and not reallysuccessful in any direction. I was really lacking confidence and self-esteem and thisgave me an opportunity to do what it says on the strap line: to build on what I wasinto.
Through volunteering, I now have greater confidence and self-esteem. I can now talkto people I do not know.
By doing something you wouldn’t normally do you gain confidence.
I’ve learnt to respect myself and that other people will also respect me too.
27
B, aged 20, has been volunteering for three years. ‘At the end of college I wanted to dosomething different so I went into Connexions and asked about volunteering and they putme in touch with [the organisation].’ He helps organise two groups at a day centre forchildren and adults with disabilities, has organised a fundraising disco, and has taken partin various practical projects.
He identifies a range of skills he’s developed: ‘planning skills from organising thedisco to raise money for the day centre. I had to check out different venues, book theplace, book the DJ, I did a role play with someone from [the organisation] and they helpedme write down what I would say, then I practised it, and then I felt confident to call the DJand book him.
‘Independence and independent travel on the metro. I didn’t do this before, butnow I can go places independently, [the project worker] went in the next carriage so Icould see him, I knew he was there if I needed him, and I got used to it, now I can travelwhere I want to go independently, I feel confident to do it now. Social skills, I’ve met lotsof new people and new friends.
‘I’ve got a lot more confidence. Volunteering has changed my life. I got bullied atcollege, so through coming here and volunteering I’ve gained back the confidence that Ilost.’
Communication skills
6.15 The young people interviewed identified a wide range of different communicationskills they had developed through volunteering. These included:
• Effective use of different communication methods, including letter writing, e-mail,making telephone calls, body language, British Sign Language and Makaton.
• Writing to specific formats, such as taking minutes, writing newspaper articles,composing press releases, or filling in forms.
• Public speaking, for instance making presentations, carrying out interviews andrepresenting the views of other young people.
• Taking part in group discussions and meetings; and• Communicating with specific groups, such as children, older people, parents or
patients.
6.16 Specific comments included:
I’m more polite than I used to be - I’m really much better on the phone.
I’ve learned to communicate with other people - before I didn’t talk to manypeople.
My parents think I am doing well. They think I communicate more and havelearned new skills, and that I talk with other people more than before.
Gained experience in emailing clients, e.g. proper English and correct manner.
Confidence-– via presentations, talks, leading groups and running workshops.
I gained lots of confidence through being able to communicate better.
Communication skills - how to grasp children’s attention. How to be assertive toget them to behave. Using gestures and body language to communicate.
28
Self-awareness
6.17 Although relatively few young people identified changes in individual self-awareness, those that did tended to highlight the impact of volunteering on all aspects oftheir lives. In some cases, young people clearly identified volunteering as leading to majorchange in their lives.
Much more liberal, understanding my own values, have become more businessminded, value life and being more positive about yourself.
It takes you out of yourself. It means you don’t take your baggage into the futureand you move on from your own problems.
My behaviour and attitude has changed. I used to be cheeky and daft, but not anymore.
I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experiences I’ve had fromvolunteering.
I’ve built a relationship with my mum - I used to get into trouble - since being hereI’ve become very happy and have become friends with my mum which is veryimportant to me.
Through mentoring I have been able to discuss things freely and really challengedmyself and my opinions.
Volunteering helped me to mature a lot, before I was leaning towards thestereotype, getting into trouble etc., but I’ve re-evaluated my life, youth work andworking at the summer school has helped me mature and learn a lot about how Iam. I’m more self aware of how my actions can affect others.
E, aged 18, has been volunteering for two years. He has undertaken a range ofvoluntary activities with children and young people through youth clubs, summer schemesand church. He is also involved in a project supporting children in a developing country.He sees his volunteering as having ‘affected me as a whole. It’s given me direction, this iswhat I want to do, this is me. Before I was getting into crime, I’d stepped out, but nowI’ve got drive to step back and help other people not make the same mistakes.’
He sees that he has developed a range of skills through volunteering, includingcommunication skills through working with children and their parents; problem solving -relaying information, events, logging incidents, working at all different levels and teammanagement - fundraising, organising and leading groups.
He describes seeing change and progression in young people as ‘rewards inthemselves’, but accreditation also matters: ‘having a certificate is good as proof, you canshow to employers what you have achieved. Apart from GCSEs I don’t have manyacademic qualifications, but volunteering shows dedication, it shows I’ve gotqualification, commitment and references to work with youth. I’ve got a job interviewdoing youth work, so volunteering will hopefully help me with that.’
29
Self-management
6.18 Young people believed that their volunteering had helped them improve theirbehaviour in various ways and highlighted how this affected other areas of their lives.Their comments focus on three main benefits:
• Better self-organisation, particularly time management and meeting deadlines;• Improved behaviour, including patience; and• Dealing with stress and anger management
Getting to both the library and the old people’s home, I’m always punctual nowand my time keeping is (now) excellent.
I am good at organising my time, being able to say no and by keeping a diary.
Meeting deadlines - keeping up to date with different tasks and projects.
Coping with new sometimes stressful scenarios at the hospital.
Patience through dealing with people on daily basis.
I don’t get worried that people are going to wind me up.
I still lose it sometimes, but I now know how to stop.
C, a partially sighted young man, is volunteering with an arts project, where he isdeveloping databases and writing a newsletter. He identified a range of learning from hisproject, including ICT and money management skills, time management, independentliving and managing relationships with other people. He had some experience of usingApple Macs at school, but ‘being at [the arts project] kinda refreshed me on using Macsand gave me familiarity with newer operating systems. I’m now able to use it for real.’ Hehas learnt about ‘handling petty cash and purchasing stuff’ for the organisation. He haslearned how to deal with a variety of people (including managers) and to know when tokeep quiet and stay polite. He’s gained experience of getting to the project in time,including learning the bus routes and where to get off the bus. He had previously been atboarding school, so did not have much experience of independent travel.
Planning
6.19 Many young people considered that their planning skills had improved as a result ofvolunteering. However, there seems to be some ambiguity about what is understood byplanning. In the context of personal skills it means individuals’ ability to look ahead to setgoals and identify how to achieve them. However, it also seems to have been understoodin the sense of planning projects and activities, which will be covered under interpersonalskills.
I have a ‘dream’ book to help map ideas and form a strategy for the skills I needand when I need to learn them to reach my goals.
My next goals … doing more research into it, I am bettering myself. I am hardworking not lazy.
30
Enough is enough, you don’t want to be just another statistic, a young female witha baby who can’t continue in education. Being on welfare, I don’t want to becomethat, I want to progress legitimately and prove what you can achieve.
I think different, take things in more, think more about my career.
I’ve realised I can get into this now, it is not as hard as you might assume.
Taking responsibility
6.20 Skills developed in this area would appear to be closely related to individual self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as working with others. Young people referred togrowing up and become more mature; taking responsibility for their actions; seeingprojects through; and recognising that other people depended on them to do what they saidthey would do. Some young people with learning disabilities identified benefits in termsof increased independence.
I am now more responsible - if the bus is late I tell someone. I now try to confirmmy attendance at meetings. I am now more responsible than before, I am moreaware that as a volunteer people depend on you, if you do not turn up, somethingjust does not get done.
I have learnt new skills and acquired new responsibilities which have made me amore mature young adult.
A worker reported that a young person with a learning disability feels she is moreconfident and ‘grown up’, better able to do things for herself, e.g. getting up andready to attend [the organisation].
F is a 19-year-old young woman of Cypriot origin. She has been volunteering for aroundthree and a half years. ‘I started doing a sports course - teaching kids was part of mycourse. I wanted to be a coach so my teacher said I should go to MV. Since she startedvolunteering, ‘I’ve had to grow up fast. When I started the sports course I was still a kid.I’ve had to be more responsible. Through volunteering, she has learnt ‘how to be part ofteam. Communication, teaching others a new sport. Sharing. I am more aware of myself. Idon’t show my nerves - I might be scared but I don’t show it. I just show them how to doit. It has built up over time. I know what to do so am more confident.’ She has also learntabout child protection and basic sign language.
She believes that ‘it is important to get recognition. I feel I have achievedsomething. You see other young people going to centres - I don’t want to be a NEET.They just need support rather than being labelled by services. I have taught kids that haveADHD. I got them to join me in the sports department.
‘You have to do stuff to get somewhere, if you don’t do stuff then you don’t getnowhere.’
31
Improving own learning
6.21 Comments illustrating skills development in this area tended to focus on review andevaluation, and learning from experience.
I value learning a lot more… you have to think how you can manage and support agroup, and think critically about your own learning and how you can support agroup to develop their ideas, to be empowered and to make changes in theircommunity’.
Be more organised - through planning projects, reviewing my work, evaluation,action planning.
D, aged 24, supports young adults in skills for life sessions. ‘I’d finished studying butneeded experience so thought volunteering would be a good way. I had a really goodincentive to get involved because I wanted to gain experience and an insight into this areaof work - testing out by doing it.’
He’s learnt ‘how to communicate better through mixing with learners andunderstanding their backgrounds, how to get on with young people and provide the rightsupport and dealing with conflict. I’m a fairly determined person and have always wantedto achieve. This has given me an opportunity to learn from mistakes although I do take itseriously and see myself as part of the staff team. I’m not complacent just because I’mvolunteering.’
Volunteering ‘will give me more confidence in interviews because I can now applyit to real life experiences.’
Problem solving and decision-making
6.22 Some young people believed that volunteering had improved their analytical skills,their ability to respond flexibly to changing situations, weigh up options and makejudgements, and to work with others to solve problems. Several young people referred toexperience in making decisions gained through involvement in Youth Opportunity Fundor other panels which assess grant applications from other young people.
I now make decisions about my own voluntary placements. Before I allowed othersto make decisions for me. I am now learning to weigh up options and make my owndecisions. Because I believe in myself, I am now more confident in what I decide.
Learning Adobe Acrobat has taught me to approach other problems with an openmind, because of how I deal with editing using this software.
Through volunteering I can deal with difficult situations and make decisions.
[Has learned] to think on feet more, think out of the box - not just the obvious.
Know how and when to change sessions quickly.
Judging when to report something to a medic or nurse at the hospital.
32
Interpersonal skills
6.23 This heading embraces a range of skills, attitudes and knowledge relating to workingwith other people. It includes teamwork - working together to achieve common goals;leading and organising projects and activities; working with different kinds of people, forinstance across age differences; negotiation and dealing with conflict; and active listening- understanding other people’s views and ideas.
Teamwork
6.24 Working with others and teamwork were identified as key areas of skillsdevelopment through volunteering. Young people stressed the benefits of workingtogether, but also acknowledged the challenges that this brought. Their commentshighlighted various aspects of teamwork, including getting things done, developing trustand making friends, supporting and helping each other through challenges, improving thequality of their work, and working through disagreements.
I could already work well as part of a team but volunteering helped me build onthis.
I have learnt that work gets done quickly with more than one person.
I now like working in a team and making things happen.
Working with new people I’d never met before and having to completely trustthem.
Volunteering has supported and improved teamwork skills over a short period oftime.
Discipline: you have respect for others, you respect … older members, you learnassertiveness, friendship and being one big family, you earn respect.
Making new friends - we were together all the time and got on really well so we allbecame mates who had developed and grown up together and helped each otherthrough things.
G, aged 16, has been volunteering since last summer. He has volunteered at aCaribbean festival, Black History Month events and a fashion show. He got involvedthrough his youth organisation, which asked for helpers. He thinks he’s developed a rangeof skills: ‘communication with customers and the team. You can’t just ignore people orthey will think you are out of order. I feel more confident volunteering. I used to be a bitshy. It helps with problems solving at college. I take the lead now, I have developedleadership skills. I’m more open to say what I feel, not to keep it bottled up.’ When askedabout accreditation, he said ‘I do want people to recognise me, it makes me feel a bithappier. Certificates would be useful for CV or portfolio’.
33
Managing relationships
6.25 While teamwork focuses on relationships within groups, a linked set of skills relatesto young people’s ability to manage relationships with people outside their group. Aspectsof this include working with different kinds of people and understanding their needs,dealing with people in authority and networking. Some young people contrasted theirexposure to different people through volunteering with their experiences in school, wherethey remained with people of the same age and within friendship groups.
You get to be around all different people and people of different ages, this is goodbecause at school everyone is the same age and you don’t really mix, but in[organisation] you are with people from all different ages so it’s good you learn tomix.
Learned how to work with other people both older and younger without majorproblems.
Learned how to speak quietly and gentle to other people and have made manyfriends.
Networking - meeting new people from other organisations and working together.
Patience with rude customers and how to react with them.
To not lose temper with groups and to go over things as many times as needed.
I need to treat people properly if I want respect.
You learn not to judge people, how to listen, and builds confidence working in abig group, [it] gives you people skills - how to get along and include people.
H, aged 14, has been volunteering for six months. ‘First I was on the youthcommittee - [the worker] asked if I would volunteer. I help with admin and doing phonecalls. I have learned to speak better over the phone, and I write down messages for others.I’ve also gained more computer skills and can work the databases at the club.’ Whenasked how he’s changed, he says ‘I take much more interest in other people, I look out forthose involved and talk with them - before I would have just left them to it.’ Through hisvolunteering he will get a first-aid certificate. ‘I also got a certificate for the project I didand have gained two parts of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. It will be useful for jobs inthe future.’
34
Active listening skills
6.26 Active listening includes the ability to listen to other people’s viewpoints, reflectwhat people have said back to them and encourage them to develop their own solutions.While these skills were reported fairly widely, as might be expected they appear to beparticularly strongly associated with mentoring and peer support.
Through mentoring I’ve learnt listening skills - you learn it through trainingexercises, it makes you aware of how much you don’t listen in everyday life.
Learnt to respect other people's opinions.
[Learned] to see beyond what people present, gain empathy with others indifferent situations.
Talking to one another, playing, helping each other share feelings.
People listening skills - learnt from mistakes, seen that when you listen you get apositive result.
It’s improved my communication skills, and experience of confidentiality,boundaries, like how far to take it and when to leave it.
I, aged 22, is volunteering at a local art gallery running activities for children. Sheidentifies a range of inter-related skills she has developed through volunteering: ‘myplanning skills were underdeveloped. I left most of the planning to others because I wasnot confident in this area. However, since running art workshops my skills in planningand time management have improved greatly. I realise that the workshop outcome isdependent on my ability to publicise the workshop, plan the content etc. I am now moreconfident in doing these, as well as talking to others and solving problems which mightarise. I have also become more assertive in being able to communicate what I want.
‘The project also gave me an opportunity to work with people from other culturesand backgrounds and in the process I became better at listening and understanding others’viewpoints and opinions. I am now also more aware of the need to compromise and morewilling to consider alternative thinking/ways of doing things than previously.’ Other skillsshe has developed include applying for funding.She thinks that volunteering should be recognised through a system of credits which couldbe used elsewhere. She has now secured a job working with children, and believes thatthis is due to the skills she gained through volunteering, such as practical experience oforganising children’s activities, and the contacts she made.
35
Leadership
6.27 Several comments identified this as an area where volunteering offered opportunitiesnot available in other areas of their lives. The notion of leadership differed betweenprojects. Some had clear progression routes, offering some specified leadership roleswhich young people were able to aspire to. In most projects, however, leadershipopportunities appear to be less formalised, with different individuals assuming the lead fordifferent projects. Young people were also involved in teaching or coaching roles, bothinside and outside their groups.
As a project leader, volunteers look to me to provide leadership. On our outwardbound course I had to work as a leader for the group, working out where we were,make decisions and have confidence in my decisions.
Volunteering gave me the opportunity to lead where I did not have the chance tobefore, in doing so giving me added confidence and empowerment in knowing whoI am and what I want to do.
You have to be motivated enough to give that group a different experience or thegroup will feel like you don’t care.
The [hierarchy] helps, you can move up to captain for team. Captain has to makesure everyone gets there on time.
I run recruitment events for students, plan the programme, organise the publicity,do the risk assessment, cost breakdown and who to target for sponsorship.
On occasions, have assumed a leadership role, this has been made possiblethrough growing confidence in myself and skills in communication, oral as well aswritten.
Scout leaders taught me to light fires, now I teach the cubs to light fires. Willimprove on this skill by teaching- ‘see one, do one, teach one’.
I can look at somebody’s goals and help them get to it, I can help people to tacklethings one step at a time.
Negotiation
6.28 This was a key area for some projects, particularly those involved in activities whichdemanded close team work and cooperation. These young people stressed their ability tomake judgements about situations; to resolve conflict - both within their own organisationand with other people that they were working with; and to be prepared to compromise toachieve results.
When you get into conflict, stay calm and understand what people are saying. Istay calm and don’t kick off.
I am also now aware of the need to compromise and more willing to consideralternative ways of thinking/ways of doing things than previously.
You learn how to deal with the public and how to handle conflict.
36
You learn how to handle conflict, and how to sort out arguments, in [theorganisation] you can’t just ignore someone if you have a problem with them, youhave to sort it out and you learn how to do that, how to talk to the person and beable to get on with them again.
Volunteering on a team project certainly created opportunities for me to practisemy negotiation skills, even if they hadn’t been well used in the past.
Know when to step into situations and when to step back.
J, aged 16, has been volunteering for around five years. He got involved as amember, taking part in karate, boxing and trampolining, and now helps new members.From his volunteering, he’s developed ‘confidence, ability to commit to something, ableto work in a small group and get over disagreements.’ His behaviour was ‘not so goodbefore’, but he’s ‘calmed down now, self-disciplined, can keep head down.’ He has alsolearned ‘how to deal with money and people who aren’t so strong and experienced’, andunderstands how committees work. He sees the project where he volunteers as good‘because it gets people off doing drugs etc, gives us responsibilities.’
37
Understanding contemporary issues
6.29 This heading embraces a range of skills, knowledge and attitudes relating toindividuals being able to act more effectively in the wider world. At a broader level, itincludes individuals’ understanding of their role in society, both locally and globally andhow their actions can have an impact; the development of values and attitudes whichencourage their active involvement in communities; understanding and valuing culturaldiversity; and the awareness of power relationships. More specifically, it covers skillsrelating to financial management such as budgeting and, importantly for this research,skills related to preparation for work and employability.
Understanding society
6.30 Many young people interviewed appear to be strongly committed to improving theircommunities and the lives of other people. They stressed the importance of knowing thattheir actions were making a difference to others, of being able to see change, and beingrecognised for their contribution. They identified how their values and priorities hadchanged, so that they now understood the importance of volunteering in strengtheninglocal communities and developing social capital. They also described how they haddeveloped knowledge and understanding of local structures and processes so that theycould use their time effectively to bring about change.
Before I began volunteering I really wanted to help others, but I felt that it was toohard to do this by myself. And I didn’t really know. Now I realise that every littlebit you do does help.
I have always been bothered but volunteering made me get up and do something.
I enjoy seeing the impact I have on people. Young people get older and theyrecognise you, they talk to you about their life, it shows the results of the work forthose young people.
Valued, I really feel like I’m making a difference in my community.
Made me focus on something important. I now enjoy helping other people. It gaveme a reason to get out of the house.
I’m a mum, I’m very determined to make change in the community I live in for meand for my daughter to grow up in, things have to change right now.
Have become more willing to help people. Even though you are not earning youare still gaining satisfaction.
Interacting with different people and gaining a wide variety of knowledge on howsociety functions.
It has made me value my community. It’s made me think that I can make adifference, think more about gaps in [the area].
38
K, 18 is a Black Caribbean young woman who describes herself as ‘very driven tovolunteer, I’m passionate and committed to working with young people’. She has set upher own project, ‘it’s for young people and communities, aimed at young people involvedin gun crime, working with young people to make a difference in their communities, andhas also been involved in international volunteering. She identifies a range of skills gainedthrough volunteering: ‘communication skills, networking, I can speak to people I canwrite a letter and get in tune with people, I can grab someone’s attention and keep themfocused. You have to think how you can manage and support a group to develop theirideas, to be empowered and make change in their community. I’ve worked in voluntaryand statutory organisations and have got skills from working in all different environments.You get out what you put in, you get quality [volunteering] from always being available topass on your skills, to signpost others and to build up relationships.’
Understanding diversity
6.31 Young people believed that volunteering had brought them into direct contact withpeople and ideas they would not otherwise have experienced. They had broadened theirunderstanding of different cultures, developed their awareness of discrimination and theexperiences of specific groups, and become more able to challenge their own and otherpeople’s preconceptions, including media messages.
I definitely became more open minded because of all the people I met - this hashelped me empathise with different people from different backgrounds.
You teach other people who don’t understand and treat disabled people different.Show them disabled people are really talented.
I think you should treat everyone the same no matter their religion. I used to beunsure about different religions, but not any more.
I’m totally non-judgemental, my beliefs have changed, I know how it is for asylumseekers coming into the UK and I can tell people how it is, I can dispel the mythsyou hear about them getting a car and a house etc, I know it isn’t like that, I knowit from being with my mentee in her flat with only a bed and a table.
Greater understanding of elderly people (old women aren't mean).
What people from different schools are really like.
In my volunteering I let people know what it is like to be different, I challengeprejudice about disability and being different through drama.
I’ve learnt a lot about communicating with people with disabilities and alsothought a lot about how people live their life with a disability and they don’t let itget in the way.
One of the biggest things was going on an exchange, we went representingEngland, there were people from all different cultures, it was amazing, I felt reallyconfident to talk to them and I could understand them straight away.
39
Rights and responsibilities
6.32 Relatively few young people identified skills relating to rights and responsibilities,perhaps suggesting that they find this a fairly abstract concept.
Volunteering and then developing as a person has progressed my understanding ofthe rights and personal responsibilities of others and how this fits into the generaljigsaw of life.
Better understanding of responsibilities, values and beliefs.
Preparation for work
6.33 Many young people interviewed explicitly referred to the role of volunteering inhelping them get a job. They had clear ideas about how volunteering would help them getwork and help them deal with workplace challenges in the future. They repeatedlyhighlighted the value of the communication, teamwork and organisational skills they haddeveloped, or hoped to develop further, through volunteering.
6.34 Young people also highlighted their understanding of workplace demands and officeroutines; one young person, for instance, itemised their office experience: ‘photocopying,typing, emails, faxing, filing, answering the phone, taking messages, sorting post, openingand closing office’. The experience of a work environment can be particularly importantfor young people with learning disabilities.
At one organisation, a project worker helped L, a young woman with learningdifficulties to articulate what she had learned through volunteering. Through herplacement at a charity shop she had been taught to sort, ticket and price second handclothes. She is now ‘good at it and very quick’. She uses a ticketing gun so has had tolearn to be careful and learn about health and safety. She has ‘learnt to make tea and to askother people how they like it’. She has become used to meeting and talking to new people,and leaves her flat on time to get to work early. She is on time for college as well. Whileshe needs help with checking change and counting the clothes out of the bags, shecouldn’t or wouldn’t have attempted this before.
6.35 Young people’s discussion of volunteering in relation to the future ranged fromvolunteering looking good on a CV, to more specific references to volunteering enhancingemployability in particular areas. Some young people saw volunteering as a means oftesting out different career options, while for others, volunteering had led them to changetheir minds about what they wanted to do. One young woman reported that ‘Being avolunteer completely changed my outlook on life and what I wanted to do as a career, Irealised that I wanted to do a job that helps people.’
6.36 In general, and as might be expected, older young people and those with higher levelsof academic attainment tended to be more specific about their career paths, and seekvolunteering experiences which would further these. Specific careers mentioned includedworking with children; police and other uniformed services; law; care work; medicine;teaching; youth work; social work; performance and digital arts; gardening; and workingwith animals.
40
6.37 In contrast, some young people specifically stated that their volunteering would helpcompensate for not achieving well at school, or for not having higher level qualifications.One young person commented that they ‘didn’t get GCSEs, that is why I volunteer’, whileanother said ‘I would like to do sports and exercise science and be a teacher. I would liketo help kids at school as I have the insight. I was here because I didn’t go to school.’
6.38 Job specific skills
A young person who wanted to be a doctor volunteered at a hospice: ‘I workedwith patients, got to know their feelings about illness, their difficulties, mentalities.Learnt to be kind, always listening to them. It is a basic introduction about what Iam up against.’
I decided mentoring was what I wanted to do as a career, I looked at goals to setfor myself to reach those goals and volunteering at [the organisation] was one ofthose.
Long term I might want to progress into management - through volunteering youcan gain lots of knowledge and experiences, take it step by step, learn from yourmistakes.
Volunteering let me try out different career paths with no pressure - decided Iwanted to become a youth worker.
It [volunteering] had a huge benefit for me because I got lots of encouragementfrom workers about using my experiences to progress onto other things and I’mnow employed as a part-time coordinator.
Communication skills and appreciation of other people’s differences and needswill help in a career in a care home.
I’m volunteering in areas that I want to go into and work in the future so that willhelp me.
6.39 General job skills
You put [the organisation] on your CV, it’s one of the first things I put down.
My goal is to get lots of different experiences.
I hope it will help me find out what kind of people I want to work with.
Seeing how people work in different companies.
Volunteering gives you more experience from a young age, it is easier to go to uniand work after having the experiences in volunteering work.
41
M is an 18-year old Black Caribbean young man. ‘[The organisation] had a funday thingy in the summer. [The youth worker] introduced herself and asked me aboutvolunteering. I was 16 so I was able to volunteer. So I came back the next day and helpedout in the office, filing, database, answering the telephone. It was between school andcollege so I had eight weeks’ holiday. I didn’t know about volunteering before I met [theworker].
He learned ‘to talk to more people, like on the phone. The more often you do it youjust pick it up after a while. Photocopying - by the fifth time I was better. I use this skill atcollege when I am doing coursework. I used to forget things, now I keep a diary. My dadsays I am more organised than before. He can see in my room I have done the filing anddifferent files for college work. I’m more confident in myself - didn’t talk before, wouldsit in the corner.
‘I have always offered to help but it was nice to hear I would get a certificate for it- especially as I didn’t do so well in my GCSEs. I took my MV certificate to the interview,it definitely helped me get the job. The increase in confidence helped. I wouldn’t have gotit if I was my old self, I just went in there like I wanted it.’
Financial understanding
6.40 A minority of young people highlighted the financial skills they had gained throughvolunteering. These covered three areas: fundraising; financial routines; and improvedmoney management, both in relation to work and personal lives.
Personally I have never been very confident with money and financial matters,however taking part in volunteering and then continuing on into a job has mademe more aware of such management, plus giving me the opportunity to improve.
How to budget yourself and think of what you want - learn how to budget yourmoney in the future when living on your own money.
Applying for funding for own projects - grants for young people programme,young people apply directly, had idea for project, wrote own application, what youwill do with the money, then presented this to the funders.
[I know} how to set up a bank account for a club.
42
Recognition and accreditation
6.41 The young people were asked about what, if any, recognition and accreditation theyreceived, and how important they thought it was.
6.42 Young people interviewed reported receiving a range of different forms ofrecognition, ranging from being thanked to formal accreditation. More formal forms ofrecognition used included Millennium Volunteers, national vocational qualifications, theDuke of Edinburgh’s Award, and a module in volunteering as part of a degree. Youngpeople had undertaken a wide range of training, including First Aid, working withchildren, teamwork and effective communication (all accredited by Open CollegeNetwork), child protection, domestic violence, sports coaching, food hygiene, conflictresolution, counselling and introduction to youth work. They had also taken part in a rangeof locally recognised training.
6.43 Many young people stressed the importance of having their efforts and achievementsrecognised by others - ranging from simply being thanked and praised through to local andnational awards and ceremonies. Comments on their experiences included:
The biggest highlight for me was going to London to see the Queen, I got a letterinviting me to tea with the Queen! It was a big reception with lots of celebrities,and other volunteers, we got invited for doing lots of volunteering.
It’s nice if people let you know you’re recognised and appreciated.
You wouldn’t believe how it felt to be a winner [of MV award] - to stand there andhear your name - haven’t come down yet.
Just a thanks is good but I do have the certificates already.
Awards make you smile, it’s like getting a pat on the back and an acknowledgmentof the time and effort you’ve put into something … it says a lot about yourcharacter.
6.44 For others, however, their own sense of bringing something to the lives of others wasthe most important aspect of recognition.
Seeing the little girl’s face light up only took five minutes - that’s special, it doesnot cost anything or time consuming.
As long as you know you are doing it, seeing what the young people have learned -when you see they are having a good time, that’s important.
6.45 A minority - most of whom were achieving well in formal education - appear toreject certificates or accreditation as unnecessary, involving too much paperwork, ordistorting their volunteering. Young people from one project, for instance, stated stronglythat they liked the ‘hours’ based approach of MV, and were put off by the YouthAchievement Award: ‘ YAA is not so good because you have to try to fit yourvolunteering into it - can exclude some people.’ A young person at another project alsocommented, ‘I think the MV framework works well, I’m not sure why it’s changed.’
6. 46 For most young people, however, recognition by others and their own sense ofachievement and self-worth went alongside, and could be reinforced by, more tangiblerecognition through certificates or accreditation. They therefore wanted to have theirvolunteering recorded in some way. While some felt that volunteering was undervalued byschools, universities or employers, most appeared to believe that having their volunteering
43
formally recognised in some way would enhance their future prospects. Their suggestionsincluded qualifications, certificates, having volunteering count towards credits in school,points towards UCAS and job applications, references, medals, events and awards. Somecomments stressed the importance of formal recognition for those who did not have otherevidence of achievement, and several young people indicated that they were in thisposition:
I haven’t got any certificates except what I’ve gained here. They will help me getinto college or get jobs.
If you take one look at my CV you probably think this guy is a complete loser, butwith the accreditation it helps.
I’m not doing well at school, so getting awards will help me get jobs or get intocollege.
6.47 Other comments included:
We have a folder showing the number of hours we do. Then we get a certificate -can use it for our CV. It’s good to have an achievement at the end - able to showwe don’t just sit around doing nothing. I put it down in my application to college.It shows you have a commitment to learn.
I’m proud of everything I get. It’s an achievement. I like to show people. You knowif you go for a job … they are like ‘oooh, look what she has done’.
Shows you have done a lot of things, you are a well rounded individual.
Helps to raise profile, there is an incentive to get started.
For me it was important - I got my gold star for 200 hours through MV and itmeant there was a noticeable achievement rather than me saying ‘I volunteered’.You can also include it on your CV.
I don’t mind if it’s not accredited but as long as there is good evidence and prooffor my CV.
N, a 21-year-old young man, has undertaken a range of volunteering activities,including a placement at a local museum, radio work, working on a reception desk andhelping out at a youth club. At the museum, he helps visitors get around, gives out guidemaps, helps people with the equipment and generally talks to them. ‘One person needed awheelchair, I was on hand, I stayed with her and made sure she was safe.’ Through hisvolunteering, he has learned how to ‘communicate, to talk more, get to know people more.Get more friends … nice people.’
He has gained confidence and experience through volunteering. ‘I can gosomewhere instead of staying at home. I can attempt anything. When I apply for jobs I’mconfident because I know what I am doing, say on the radio, I can go into a room on myown. I can show other people how to use it. I can help people. I am a whiz on [reception].I can get a job as a receptionist. I’ve got a good record.’
He has received certificates and attended parties and award ceremonies for hisvolunteering. He feels the certificates are important because he can show them to hisfamilies and friends. ‘It means I can brag to people in a suit. It means I have done reallywell, I am not a total failure.’
44
7. Conclusions and recommendations
Conclusions
7.1 The project has identified a range of personal and social skills that young peopleacquire through volunteering. In particular, these focus upon increased self-confidence andself-esteem, improved communication skills, and ability to work with other people moreeffectively. Many young people also develop a range of practical skills related to theirspecific areas of volunteering.
7.2 A review of relevant literature highlighted the role of volunteering in developing theseskills. This was confirmed by the fieldwork, which sought to translate broad categorisationof skills and learning into more precise descriptions of how young people applied theseskills and the consequent outcomes.
7.3 A number of key issues emerged during the project. They included:
• Misunderstandings about the nature of volunteering, among both young people andthose working with them, were common. Not all young people involved in theproject defined themselves as volunteers, and some young people interviewed haddifficulty in defining their activities as volunteering, even though they recognisedthat they benefited other people, because they felt that they themselves got muchfrom these activities. While some discussions of volunteering suggest that there istoo much focus on what volunteers can gain, rather than what they can give,29 thisproject suggests that there is still work to be done to promote the fact thatvolunteering legitimately encompasses enjoyment and skills development as wellas community benefit.
• Linked to this, it is important to recognise the range of motivations forinvolvement. For some, volunteering is a means to fulfil particular career oreducation ambitions. For others, it may represent progression from service users to‘helpers’, while for others, it may simply represent a way of doing somethingenjoyable with their time. Given the problems with the image and perceptions ofvolunteering discussed above, many workers avoid using the term with youngpeople - in effect supporting volunteering by stealth. In other instances,volunteering may be the culmination of a broader educational programme, forinstance when young people become involved in peer education after first takingpart in training about specific issues. While, in many cases, training is undertakenwith the specific aim of undertaking peer education activity, in others this outcomemay not have originally been anticipated, but it is important to be able to capturethe full processes of skills development.
• The project highlighted the difficulty of differentiating between skills and learninggained through volunteering, and those resulting from other interventions, such asthe youth work which provides the context for volunteering, from particular lifechanges such as becoming a parent, or from simply growing up. This difficulty is,of course, not unique to volunteering. However, the ability of some young peopleto make clear distinctions between the skills gained through volunteering and theirexperience of formal education and employment indicates that more could be doneto help young people and those working with them identify the skills developedthrough different types of settings and activities.
29 See, for instance, Mark Restall’s article on ‘Giving with a Goal’ in the Guardian, 2 March 2007.
45
• The project indicates that many young people have only limited opportunities toreflect on their learning through volunteering. Young people taking part in theresearch welcomed the opportunity to take time to look at the distance they hadtravelled through volunteering, and to draw out and be able to articulate the skillsthey had developed, and their attitudinal changes. The approach taken by theproject was important in facilitating this, since it sought to ‘drill down’ beneath thebroad categories of skills to find out the precise impact for individual youngpeople.
• During this process of reflection, many young people revealed a sophisticatedunderstanding of the interplay of skills and outcomes, with a particular focus onexperiential learning - ‘learning through doing’. Their comments stressed therelationship between developing skills, having the confidence to use them,receiving positive feedback, and further skills development.
• While not a specific focus of this project, the research highlighted the importanceof skilled staff (and peer role models) who offer support tailored to the specificneeds of young people in promoting the development and articulation of skills.
7.4 The research indicated found that volunteering can affect young people’s lives at arange of levels. Some young people provided powerful evidence about how volunteeringhas provided an opportunity to turn their lives around. The fieldwork confirmed thefindings of the literature review that volunteering can reach young people at all levels,from high achievers to those who are on the margins of society, giving them a morepositive focus and the skills with which to achieve their newly identified goals.
7.5 The interviews also revealed young people’s understanding of the impact ofvolunteering on their lives and aspirations. Some highlighted their increased commitmentto college or other studies they were currently engaged in, while others talked aboutimproved relationships with their families or communities. Many spoke eloquently aboutthe skills they had gained, or hoped to gain through volunteering and how these wouldbenefit them in their future careers or further study. For some young people, volunteeringhad offered a means of testing various career options, or gaining experience relevant tospecific career choices. For others, volunteering offered them a chance to experience aworking environment. Some young people also highlighted the way volunteeringdeveloped their skills for life, for instance being assertive in different situations, adaptingto change, living independently or preparing them for parenthood.
7.6 The research highlighted the importance of young people receiving recognition fortheir volunteering. They interpreted recognition in a range of ways, from being thankedand respected in their communities to gaining specific accreditation or qualifications.While a minority - usually those who were achieving well in formal education - did notsee formal recognition as important, most young people wanted the skills they had gainedthrough volunteering to be recorded and/or accredited in some way. They highlighted theimportance of receiving certificates, and of being able to include their volunteeringexperiences on their CV. This was seen as particularly important for those who had notdone well in formal education. However, it is also important that young people who aredoing well academically understand that the skills they have gained through volunteeringare valued by employers and educationalists, and are able to identify and articulate theseskills.
46
Recommendations
1. The research findings need to be disseminated more widely, and appropriateorganisations identified to take forward its recommendations.
2. Summary reports should be produced to draw out the implications of this researchfor specific groups, such as young people themselves; information, advice andguidance professionals; and employers.
3. Clear definitions of volunteering (based on existing definitions), which clarify howactivities that young people are likely to be involved in count as volunteering,should be produced.
4. Volunteering projects should be encouraged to develop flexible programmes thatare as inclusive as possible and which maximise skills development. They shoulduse explicit mechanisms to record, review and evidence development of skills,knowledge and attitudes.
5. A toolkit should be developed for volunteering projects to help young peoplereflect on and articulate the skills they develop through volunteering in ways thatwill support more formal accreditation.
6. This research provides a solid base-line of the skills that could be included in apackage of accreditation measures and programmes. It highlights the importance ofrecognising young people’s diverse needs. Any accreditation packages need to beflexible and wide-ranging, from local certificates to awards and wholequalifications, suited to varied volunteering contexts and the distinctiverequirements of different volunteers. The accreditation options should mesh inwith awards and qualifications that are currently used to accredit volunteering andrelated activities.
7. Any accreditation measures being developed should be compatible with currentawards and qualifications, and integrate with planned future provision andmeasures, such as the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and theSpecialised Diplomas. Any framework used to accredit PSD skills in volunteeringshould be the same as that used to develop PSD provision in the QCF and theFoundation Learning Tier.
8. The recognition and accreditation of volunteering should be built into allappropriate programmes and measures being developed by QCA and LSC.
9. Funding streams should incorporate requirements for organisations to offer youngpeople opportunities to identify skills developed through volunteering.
10. Work should be undertaken with UCAS to encourage greater recognition ofvolunteering in university selection processes.
11. Volunteering organisations’ good practice in fostering skills development andaccreditation should be identified and shared at national, regional and local levels.
12. Consideration should be given to continue to bring together steering groupmembers, plus other relevant bodies, to assess progress on the recognition of skillsdeveloped through volunteering.
13. Further research should be undertaken to:
47
Determine the impact of economic and social contexts on the developmentof skills through volunteering.
Gain greater insight into the practical skills gained as a result ofvolunteering; and
Explore the role of adult practitioners (and older peer models) in supportingyoung people’s entry into and progression through volunteering.
48
Appendix 1 - Definitions of volunteering circulated to the researchers
These definitions are taken from the Volunteering Compact (which incorporates theVolunteering England definition but helpfully indicates the breadth of volunteering); theUN definition used by the Russell Commission; and the Home Office Citizenship survey. As far as we can see, there are no conflicts between the different definitions - togetherthey give a helpful picture of what does and what does not count as volunteering
Volunteering Compact Code of Good Practice - available athttp://www.thecompact.org.uk/module_images/Final%20Compact%20Volunteering%20Code%2005.pdf
Understanding Volunteering Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and fundamental todemocracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society andthe community, and can take many forms. It is freely undertaken and not forfinancial gain. The principle of non-payment of volunteers is central to this Codeand to the wider sector and society’s understanding of volunteering.
We understand the term volunteering to include formal activity undertakenthrough public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal communityparticipation and campaigning. For the purpose of this Code, volunteering isdefined as an activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something thataims to benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in additionto) close relatives. (based on Volunteering England definition, but VE consulting onbroader definition of volunteering)
Principles of VolunteeringThe Compact recognises four principles fundamental to volunteering. These areChoice, Diversity, Mutual Benefit and Recognition. These inform every aspect of thisCode.Choice:Volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. Freedom to volunteerimplies freedom not to become involved.Diversity:Volunteering should be open to all, no matter what their background, race, colour,nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, age, gender, marital status, sexualorientation or disability.Mutual Benefit:Volunteers offer their contribution and skills unwaged but should benefit in otherways in return for their contribution. Giving time voluntarily must be recognised asestablishing a reciprocal relationship in which the volunteer also benefits and feelsthat his or her contribution is personally fulfilling.Recognition:Explicit recognition that valuing the contribution of volunteers is fundamental to a fairrelationship between volunteers, voluntary and community organisations andGovernment. This includes recognising the contribution to the organisation, thecommunity, the social economy and wider social objectives.
49
Though not an exhaustive list, volunteering can include:• Helping provide a service as a volunteer within a voluntary or community organisation, or the public sector;• Community activism, campaigning and action to change society or identify and tackle unmet needs;• Befriending and mentoring;• Organising sports and physical recreation;• Taking part in running a voluntary or community organisation as a trustee or member of a board or committee;• Serving as a non-executive member of a public body or participating in civic governance, for instance serving as a school governor or a community representative;• Leading a voluntary initiative, usually as part of a voluntary organisation or community group, to improve the quality of life for people in a neighbourhood or community of interest;• Group activity, within a neighbourhood or community of interest, providing a community service, or campaigning for a public cause;• Helping develop public policy through involvement in consultation processes and campaigning;• Volunteering overseas;• Helping raise funds for an organisation.
UN definition - adopted by Russell Commission
United Nations definition of volunteering“There are three key defining characteristics of volunteering. First the activityshould not be undertaken primarily for financial reward, although thereimbursement of expenses and some token payment may be allowed. Second, theactivity should be undertaken voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free-will,although there are grey areas here too, such as school community service schemeswhich encourage, and sometimes require, students to get involved in voluntarywork and Food for Work programmes, where there is an explicit exchange betweencommunity involvement and food assistance. Third, the activity should be of benefitto someone other than the volunteer, or to society at large, although it isrecognised that volunteering brings significant benefit to the volunteer as well.
“Within this broad conceptual framework it is possible to identify at least fourdifferent types of volunteer activity: mutual aid or self-help; philanthropy or serviceto others; participation or civic engagement; and advocacy or campaigning. Eachof these types occurs in all parts of the world.”
United Nations Volunteers Report, prepared for the UN General Assembly SpecialSession on Social Development, Geneva, June 2004
Home Office Citizenship Survey 2005 - definitions usedFormal Volunteering: Giving unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations tobenefit other people or the environment.
Informal volunteering: Giving unpaid help as an individual to people who are notrelatives.
50
Appendix 2 - Projects visited and their main volunteering activities
Ab Phab: Romford: organisation supports the integration of disabled and non-disabledyoung people.
African Youth League, Dagenham (Essex): involves young people in practical aspects ofrunning the organisation.
Cedar Project, Wolverhampton: runs a range of community-based projects encouragingyoung people to develop themselves and widen their participation in communities,including arts and drama, youth led and international projects. Members are involved in anactive youth council.
Create, Reading: MV project delivering arts-based activities to children.
Darlington YMCA: supports young people in a range of different volunteering activities,including mentoring, volunteering in hospital, youth centre and young carers group,gardening and helping older people.
DISC, Durham: young volunteers involved in a range of volunteering including peermentoring, supporting young people with learning disabilities, student volunteering, officework and international volunteering.
e2e Construction, Stratford upon Avon: project offers training in construction and officeskills.
Family Educational Development Trust, Exeter: MV project providing peer support toyoung mothers.
Havering Police Cadets: members have a weekly training session and undertake a rangeof volunteering activities related to community safety and crime prevention, plus workingwith severely disabled children.
Hertfordshire MV: supports young people in wide range of volunteering, includingartswork, work with children, admin, youth work, gardening and working in a charityshop.
Ivy Project, Exeter: project supports young people aged 12-25 to develop themselves andtheir communities through volunteering. It offers a range of opportunities through
Kesteven and Grantham Girls School: young women are involved in a range ofvolunteering including mentoring, a range of school activities, fundraising, a swimmingclub for disabled children and conservation.
Lambton Street Fellowship Centre, Sunderland: large voluntary organisation deliveringsport and health-focused activities. It offers opportunities for volunteers to help teach sportand run the centre.
Lincolnshire MV: young people’s volunteering activities included work with children,arts and crafts, school council, mentoring and sports leadership.
51
Manchester Youth Volunteering Project: supports youth volunteering across the city.Specific activities reported by young people included campaigning, organising events, anonline forum, sports coaching, helping run MYVP and care work.
Rathbone, Leicester: MV project offering a range of community based volunteeringopportunities, particularly to local students. Volunteers’ activities including organisingperforming arts workshops and activities, fundraising, committee work and supportingother young people into employment and training.
Romford Drum and Trumpet Band: run by local volunteers, the band providesopportunities for young people to learn instrument and marching skills and perform inpublic at a range of events.
Solent Youth Action, Hampshire: youth action project, volunteers all part of itscommunications group to raise the organisation’s profile. Activities they were involved inincluded an arts club for young people, one-off ‘task force’ days, full-time volunteeringwithin SYA, youth work and mentoring.
Somerset Youth Volunteering Project: Youth action agency, supporting a range ofvolunteering, including peer mentoring, issue-based drama and environmental work.
Square Wheel Project, Romford: began as a youth forum and has developed into alobbying group. Projects include photography, substance misuse and successful lobbyingfor new premises.
Voluntary Organisations Development Agency (VODA), Tyneside: MV projectincludes targeted work with a range of disabilities. Volunteering activities includevolunteering at charity shops, working with refugees and asylum-seekers, running acommunity radio and various one-off events.
Volunteering Bradford: promotes a range of volunteering activities. Young people hadbeen involved in playschemes, community environmental projects, Connexionsmanagement board, grant-making through YouthBank, hospice volunteering and researchwith Bradford council.
VOXinc, Oxford: MV project providing opportunities for young people with learningdisabilities to volunteer. Project members are involved in its management committee,work with the elderly, work with animals, producing newsletters and fundraising.
WAC Performing Arts and Media College - Cross-workers, London: arts centre withstrong history of volunteering, especially supporting younger students and students withspecial needs. Volunteers’ experience also includes sports coaching, and volunteering at alocal playcentre.
WAC Performing Arts and Media College – T Time Club, London: young volunteersoffering support to younger children ‘with problems’ attending other WAC provision.
Weston Spirit: personal development programme (operating in various locations aroundthe country) including a peer mentoring in schools initiative.
52
Young Movers: training programme set up by the national community resources centre atTrafford Hall, Chester, which offers residential training to young people from deprivedareas across the UK. Following the training, young people set up community projects intheir own areas.
Young Suffolk: works with CSV and student community action to deliver a range ofvolunteering opportunities including peer education and mentoring, creative arts, policetraining, college council, Youth Opportunity Fund, work with young skaters, circus andmusic projects.
Youth Action Blackburn: youth action project undertaking a broad range of activities.Volunteers’ experiences including group project with young people in Northern Ireland,South Asian war veterans project, drug awareness, cleaning the Mosque andenvironmental projects.
Youth A.I.D. - Lewisham, London: provides a range of social and personal developmentopportunities, with a strong emphasis on accredited courses. Volunteering experiencesinclude sports coaching, summer playschemes, coaching on motor project, First Aid andpreparation for Camp America.
53
Appendix 3 - Volunteering and Skills Project Steering Group Members
Stuart Gardner Learning and Skills CouncilChris Hutchings DfES (Chair)Tracey Herald vEmma Sparrow vDylan White QCAJoanne Williams v20
NYA Staff in Attendance:Merlynne Francique Development Officer (Youth Action)Pete Loewenstein Senior Development Officer, Achievement & JusticeMaureen O’Callaghan ConsultantCarolyn Oldfield Deputy Head of Information and ResearchDave Phillips Senior Development Officer (Youth Action)Emma Shuttlewood Administrator, Development Programmes
54
Appendix 4 - Personal and Social Development Skills framework
Skills Times mentioned CommentsIntrapersonal/personal skills
Planning
Looking longer-term
Taking responsibility Using own initiative Commitment Acting responsibly Completing tasks
Improving own learning and performance - e.g. Identifying and setting targets Review progress and achievement
Communication skills - e.g. Taking part in a group discussion Making phone calls Writing different kinds of documents
(reports, minutes, press releases etc) Making presentations
Problem solving - e.g. Understanding the problem Finding out relevant info Exploring different ways of tackling
problems Analytical skills
Self-awareness - e.g. Identifying feelings Knowing own strengths and weaknesses
Self-management - e.g. Time management Managing risk behaviour Self-discipline Stress management Resourcefulness Anger management Adaptability Patience
Self-confidence/self-esteem e.g. Belief in abilities Assertiveness Feeling good about self Enthusiasm Motivation
Making decisions - e.g. Being fair Acting on decisions
Interpersonal/social skills
Active listening skills - e.g. listening to other viewpoints reflecting back to others
55
Working with others/teamwork - e.g. identifying what you want to achieve
together Planning tasks with others Setting ground rules and sticking to them Identifying individual roles within group Reviewing how you all worked together Supporting peers
Leadership - e.g. Organising projects Planning and running activities Feeling comfortable about leading Knowing when to delegate/share Motivating others
Managing relationships - e.g. Working with different kinds of people Relationships with teachers Dealing with people in authority Empathy Networking
Negotiation - e.g. Handling conflict Willing to compromise to reach solutions Giving/receiving constructive criticism Dealing with peer pressure
Contemporary issues (inc world of work)
Budgeting/financial management - e.g. Drawing up budgets Sticking to budgets Doing accounts Fundraising
Understanding diversity Understanding of different cultures Awareness of discrimination Understanding power relationships
Understanding society Values and beliefs Relationship with wider community Community action Global issues Understanding local services/decision-
making structures Altruism
Rights and responsibilities Legal, moral, social, employment etc ‘Respect’ agenda
Preparation for work - e.g. CV building Interview skills Understanding workplace demands
56
Activity specific skills - e.g.
Creative skills (e.g. face-painting, reading
music, taking photos)
Working with children
Hygiene
First Aid
Environmental
ICT
Researching local needs
57
Appendix 5 - Interview recording forms and skills assessment questionnaire
NYA / DfES Volunteering & Skills Project
Recording Form - Group Interview
Name of Project:
Location of Project:
Details / description of project activity:
Date Visited:
Researchers:
Gender:Number of young people in
group:
Ages:
M: F:
Ethnic Origins:
Research techniques used:
Key Issues:
58
Additional Info / Notes / Observations:
Interview Number / Code
59
Experiences of volunteering -/ what you do / past experiences / how you got involved
Skills - learning / what you can do now you couldn’t do before
Attitudes, beliefs & values - changed you as a person / do you think differently about things
60
Knowledge - what you know now that you didn’t before / things you think about more or
differently
Overall impact of volunteering - how you have changed (including other people’s views)
Quality - what makes good volunteering?
Recognising & accrediting learning
61
Applying experiences to the future - overall / skills / attitudes / knowledge
Additional Notes / Comments
62
Volunteering and Skills Project
Questionnaire for Volunteers
Name of Project:
Name of volunteer:
How long have you been volunteering?:
For each of the skills listed, please put an S in the box that shows the level of your skills at the
start of your volunteering, and an N in the box that shows your skill level now. The S and N may
be in the same box (where the volunteering has not made a difference) or in different boxes
(where the volunteering has made a difference).
You may have specific skills to add related to the kinds of activities you have been doing, but
otherwise please try to use the existing headings as far as possible. If you’re not sure where a
particular skill would fit, the researchers will be able to help.
Examples
Skills Very
Low
Low Medium High Very
High
Comments
Planning skills S N Skill level gone up
Taking responsibility SN Skill level stayed the same
Improv ing own
learning
N S Skill level gone down
Your skills
Personal Skills Very
Low
Low Medium High Very
High
Comments
Planning
Taking responsibility
Improving own
learning and
performance
Communication
63
Problem solving
Self-awareness
Self-management
Self-
confidence/esteem
Making decisions
Social skills Very
Low
Low Medium High Very
High
Comments
Active listening skills
Working with
others/teamwork
Leadership
Managing
relationships
Negotiation
Contemporary
issues/world of
work
Very
Low
Low Medium High Very
High
Comments
Budgeting/
financial
management
Understanding
prejudice and
discrimination
Understanding
values and beliefs
Rights and
responsibilities
Preparation for work
64
Activity specific
skills
Very
Low
Low Medium High Very
High
Comments
Creativity
Working with
children
Hygiene
First Aid
Environmental
Information
technology
Research
65
Appendix 6 -Toolkit of research methods
In addition to group discussion and individual interviews, the research used a range ofdifferent approaches to encourage young people to reflect on their learning anddevelopment, taking account of young people’s varying levels of ability, confidence, andexperience of volunteering. They included:
Charades: to introduce themselves by name and illustrate their volunteering activity.
Posters: depicting development of volunteering experience
Board Blast: words associated with volunteering
Agree/Disagree game: to explore definitions of volunteering.
Draw round hand exercise: on each digit write a skills they have developed throughvolunteering, then write on a post it note how they learnt the skills and how they haveapplied them.
How How How activity: focusing on how skills are developed
Flower exercise: to identify skills, knowledge and attitudes and explore forward planning.
Dot voting - to gauge young people’s views on the importance of accreditation (bulls-eyeon flipchart).
Traffic light exercise: to identify level of skills at the start of volunteering.
River of life: to apply volunteering experience to future plans.
Peer interviews: to find out about volunteer activity and the skills, knowledge andattitudes developed. Time line: to explore how these will be used.
Heart, head, bag and bin exercise: sharing (in terms of volunteering) how they feel(heart), knowledge gained (head), what skills they can take into other areas of their lives(bag) and what they want to leave behind (bin).
Diamond ranking: to prioritise personal development outcomes from volunteering.
66
Appendix 7 - Publications consulted for the literature review
Centre for Human Resources, Brandeis University, Summary Report – NationalEvaluation of Learn and Service America. Brandeis University, 1999.
Changemakers, Jus’ Do It. Volunteering amongst BME and Faith Groups: a youngperson’s perspective, Changemakers, 2006.
Community Service Volunteers, The Value of Volunteering – developing ‘soft skills’through volunteering, a CSV occasional paper. CSV, 1996.
Community Service Volunteers, CVS Reports on Full-time Volunteering. CSV 2005.
Craig, R et al, Taking Post-16 Citizenship Forward: learning from the post-16development projects. DfES, 2004.
Davies, L et al, Inspiring Schools – impact and outcomes, taking up the challenge of pupilparticipation. Carnegie YPI and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, 2006?
Drake, K and Evans, P, Putting the Life into Lifelong Learning. SCADU, 1998.
Ellis, A, Generation V: young people speak out on volunteering. Volunteering England,2004.
Ellis, A, Active Citizens in School: evaluation of the DfES Pilot Programme. DfES, 2005.
Evans, R et al, Does Youth Action Pay? An evaluation of Action Pays. University of Hull,2002.
Francis, H and Sinclair, T, Impact Study of Camp America Preparation Programme:‘learning by growing by doing’. Turning Point, undated.
GHK Consulting, Evaluation of the Young Volunteer Challenge Pilot Programme. DfES,2006.
Gray, M et al, Combining Service and Learning in Higher Education – evaluation of theLearn and Serve America, Higher Education programme. RAND Education, 1999.
Heritage Lottery Fund, Learning from Young Roots – evaluation of the Young Roots grantprogramme January 2004-March 2005. HLF, 2005?
Institute for Volunteering Research, UK-wide Evaluation of the Millennium VolunteersProgramme. DfES, 2002.
Ireland, E, Active Citizenship and Young People: opportunities, experience and challengesin and beyond school. Citizenship education longitudinal study: fourth annual report.DfES 2006.
Jastrzab, J et al, Evaluation of National and Community Service programmes. Impacts ofservice: final report on the evaluation of American Conservation and Youth ServiceCorps. Abt Associates Inc, 1996.
67
Jastrzab, J et al, Serving Country and Community: a longitudinal study of service inAmeriCorps: early findings. Corporation for National and Community Service, 2004.
Lister, R et al, Young People’s Voices: citizenship education. Youth Work Press, 2001.
Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, Impact Measurement Pilot Peer MentoringReport 2005-2006. MBF, 2006?
Nelson, J et al, National Evaluation of Post-16 Citizenship Development Projects: secondannual report, NFER, 2004.
Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, Conference Report, Peer Mentoring Conference,MBF, 2006?
MORI, A Personal Development Programme for 16-25s, follow up survey of participants.The Prince’s Trust, 1997?
Ofsted, An Evaluation of the Post-16 Citizenship Pilot 2004/2005 – a report from Ofstedand the Adult Learning Inspectorate. Ofsted, 2005.
Pennywell Youth Project, Pennywell Young Volunteers Evaluation Report. PYP, 2000.
Roker, D et al, Challenging the Image: young people as volunteers and campaigners.Youth Work Press, 1999.
Roker, D, and Eden K, A Longitudinal Study of Young People’s Involvement in SocialAction: end of award report to the ESRC. Trust for the Study of Adolescence, 2002.
Russell, I, A National Framework for Youth Action and Engagement: report of the RussellCommission. Stationery Office, 2005.
Student Volunteering England, No Substitute for Experience: how student volunteeringenhances employability; PDP and Volunteering Toolkit. SVE, 2006.
Student Volunteering UK, The Art of Crazy Paving: volunteering for enhancedemployability. SVUK, 2001.
Youth Justice Board, Community Merit Awards: an evaluation. YJB, 2005.
Produced by the Department for Education and Skills
Ref No: RW103
www.dfes.go.uk/research
